Queen of All Oni
by Eduard Kassel
Summary: Daolon Wong's summoning spell goes wrong; but rather than awakening an ancient evil, he resurrects a more recent threat. With Queen Jade as their opponent a race for the masks is on. Can the Chans stop Jade's plans and save her from the darkness? NOT JxT!
1. For Want Of An Herb

_Disclaimer__: I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures, it is the property of the respective owners. I do feel a certain claim to any OCs that may appear, but since there is no money I feel we should all be fairly mellow so long as matters are handled in good taste. _

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_Project Dark Jade Presents_

**Queen of All Oni**

_A Jackie Chan Adventures FanFiction_

_Written by Eduard Kassel_

_Beta'ed By Zim'sMostLoyalServant_

_Concept Aided Greatly by Nocturne No Kitsune _

_Danke schon, you were all indispensable_

**Warnings:** _This is AU diverging at he onset of the Shadowkhan arc, so do expect events to follow canon. While I aspire to remain true to the characters my style calls for a "somewhat"t realistic approach, so expect light gore along with occasion appropriate cursing. Additionally expect mental issues to come to the forefront on occasion. _

_Now _that_ the formalities are concluded, on with the show!_

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_Chapter I_

**For Want of An Herb**

_Or, Why one should never improvise on a potion recipe_

The prison kitchen stank of grease and onions, the odors of the dinner meal lingered as the dish detail cleaned the area in preparation for the next day's breakfast work. The convicts assigned to this duty though had far more on their mind. In fact only three of them were tending to their duties; a fourth watched the fifth and final criminal sit before a pot on the floor.

Hak Foo narrowed his eyes in critical observation of the ancient Dark Chi wizard. Once the man had seemed to radiate power, and the well-founded confidence of the victor of countless wizard duels. Now he seemed nothing but an arrogant old man grasping for a fraction of what he once possessed. Just because Hak Foo preferred doing to thinking did not mean he was a fool.

"This had better work, wizard," Hak Foo growled. The Enforcers paused in their washing, Turing their attention to their red-maned colleague and former master.

Daolon Wong had seen better days. While never large he seemed smaller than before; being stripped of the power that had defined him for much of his existence had indeed diminished him. Frankly he was looking more his age, hair thinning, skin looser, movements more strained, and the orange prison uniform did anything but compliment his complexion… to the casual observer he was easily the least dangerous of those present.

Yet the eyes that lifted from his materials to meet Hak Foo's gaze still held the malevolent spark of one prepared to command the underworld's own legions. The words the fallen wizard spoke were true enough.

"Though I have been disenchanted, I am Daolon Wong. I have knowledge of the mystic arts far surpassing a Chi Wizard who has yet to live beyond his lifetime," Daolon Wing answered evenly but strong.

Having met the challenge to his authority Wong turned his attention back to the collection of bottles and herbs before him. The spell he had in mind was simple enough for a wizard of his former caliber. It was alchemy rather than pure magic drawing on the potion and only requiring a catalyst from him, a task he was certain he was capable of in this state.

The problem was the potion itself. The enforcers and Hak Foo had scoured the prison and contraband market for what he required to brew it, but it was simply impossible to obtain certain substances in this place. Thus he had been forced to improvise, and what now formed before him was almost but not quite what he needed to summon minions capable of freeing him. In magic "almost" was almost always not nearly good enough; and tended to bear dire consequences.

The wizard still had no choice but to try and make it work. His control over these fools was rapidly fading and without them he would not be able to escape in time to gain what he needed to replenish his fading life and power. As it was they had already demanded an agreement that upon escape they would go their separate ways. The fools did not even realize the laws of magic meant he needed to accept their deal; he had hoped to use them for the potion of longevity he needed.

Pushing aside his frustrated musings Wong directed his attention to the potion; the time to act was at hand. Lifting his hands he began the chant, the words flowing sweetly over his tongue and leaving a bitter taste in their wake. The potion began to shine dully by its own light, a brilliant red line sprang into being on the surface, turning and twisting upon itself in rapid succession. At last the seal of the Shadowkhan was engrave upon the liquid, if one were to gaze upon it you would feel its gaze fall on you in turn. The wizard allowed himself a smile at the familiar sensation of the dark forces being pulled into the physical world.

"Arise and liberate us, Shadowkhan," Daolon Wong commanded, his voice an echoing whisper wrapped in power. The seal flared, the lights flickered, and for a moment the taps ceased to run… and then nothing happened.

"Eh?" Daolon Wong sounded, his left eye popping open. The Enforcers looked confused at the wizard apparently drawing a blank. Hak Foo for his part seemed to simply come to a conclusion.

"It would seem Chan's uncle did strip you of your power. I will find my own escape," the mercenary announced, taking his leave. Wong barely heard him, his attention focused on the steaming potion.

"That was not a dud, the spell did something… the balance began to tilt as it always does with a summons. Hmm," The fallen wizard pondered.

**_Uncle's Rare Finds, San Francisco_**

Jade Chan was wrapped deep within her blankets; she had never been a tidy or particularly calm sleeper, inevitably burying herself to gain the most warmth and comfort from her bedding. This night she was blessed with a deep sleep, her mind untroubled with a nearly formless dream.

As such she did not know of the bitter wind that rattled her window, and – despite wood, glass, and brick – flirted across the room, lightly disturbing her scattered possessions. Though as it pierced her cocoon of cloth she did begin to stir anew as her dream formed and twisted into something it was not meant to be.

* * *

Tohru rose from his chair with a yawn, eyeing the pair of artifacts before him with some small animosity.

"One more thing Tohru! Uncle requires tea not your nasty coffee, do not mix them up!" Uncle called from his own workstation. Tohru sighed and nodded to the affirmative, his sensei would know if he did otherwise, somehow.

The apprentice wizard would much sooner be in bed than appraising these new additions to the stock of antiques. He understood it had to be done but surely the work could wait until the sun had risen.

"_No point complaining,_" the sumo thought as he made his way to the kitchen to replenish their supply of fatigue defying warm beverages. That is when it hit him.

It was like the cold chill that on occasion runs up one's spine and a static shock rolled into one. It started at his ankles and rose up his legs and back to escape through his mouth as a strange kind of shudder. Tohru stood on that spot for a moment, surprised and confused at what just happened. Oddly enough he felt a need to look in on Jade.

Turning to ascend the steps to the second floor he soon found himself at Jade's door. Tohru was puzzled why he was checking on his friend all of a sudden, but decided there was no harm as waking her was unlikely. Opening the door slowly he peered in, the moonlight from the window providing some illumination. He could not see the girl directly, but could easily make out her covered form on the bed, apparently in the midst of some dream. Gently closing the door he smiled with the reassurance that his young friend was well.

"Tohru! Where is Uncle's tea!?" the wizard/shop owner's tore through the quiet of the building. Tohru cringed at the shouting only to sigh.

"Coming sensei," he answered with far less volume as he descended the staircase.

* * *

Morning came as it usually did. Uncle, already having eaten his meager breakfast, sat at the table reading a book while sitting tea, Jackie held a folded newspaper in one hand as he enjoyed his own breakfast, and Tohru cleaned up the leavings of his sensei's breakfast while preparing Jade's cereal.

Jackie looked up from his paper as Tohru sit the bowl of cereal down at Jade's empty place at the table. He frowned slightly at his niece's tardiness.

"Jade! Your breakfast is ready, you'll be late for school!" he called towards the stairs. A few moments later he was rewarded with the sound of footsteps descending the staircase. Any comment he would have made was forgotten as his niece entered the room.

Jade was not exactly a morning person, but still she did not look good. Her hair seemed to have been rushed, her face was still moist having not been properly dried and there were black marks under her eyes.

"I didn't sleep well," Jade answered the unasked question, making her way groggily to her seat.

* * *

Jade had known when she woke up it was just going to be one of those days. She felt tired after sleeping, never a good omen. Sitting at her desk, head propped up by her right hand, all she wanted to do was lay down her head and close her eyes. The lights of the classroom seemed much brighter than usual making her squint and the inane prattling on the teacher reminder her of Charlie Brown. She was starting to get a headache.

"Jade Chan!" her teacher's voice cut through the fuzz in her head. Jade straightened bolt upright in her seat reflexively her eyes opening wide, the last being a bad idea, as she was forced to blink repeatedly to bring things back in focus.

"You seem to know the material well enough to not pay attention. Could you tell the class who was the General that surrendered to Washington at Yorktown ending the American Revolution?" the bespectacled woman pressed. Jade's eyes darted to the chalkboard in the vain hope it held some answers. That failing she grasped for the name of any famous British general.

"General Wellington?" she offered softly.

"The Duke of Wellington, the Iron Duke, a major figure in the Napoleonic Wars. Had you been listening you would have plainly heard that the major British Commander in the Southern United States was Lord Cornwallis," The teacher corrected her. The class filled with snickers at both her mistake and being caught spacing out.

"Who cares!? He was the loser, isn't it the winners that matter!?" Jade challenged. The room went silent as Jade realized she had just shouted, really shouted at the teacher.

"One demerit for not paying attention and two for disrupting the class," the teacher responded sternly. Jade wanted to melt through the floor as the other kids snickered.

She did her best to pay attention in order to avoid a repeat performance. She doubted the lesson did anything but go in one ear and out the other. She scribbled down some notes, real ones and not her usual doodles, but it wasn't doing any good. She had felt lousy waking up and breakfast had helped, but now things seemed to be getting worse. What started as a headache was now including aching joints and her stomach was churning. It took her a moment to recognize the recess bell, cringing as the blaring noise bounced around her head like a billiard ball.

Once she was on the playground she was quick to separate herself from the other children, not wholly unusual. Her "tall tales" had initially gained her some notoriety but the kids had since come to think she had taken it all too far. She could get company when she wanted it, Simone Magus came to mind, but most people were content to leave her alone.

Rather than one of her usual spots she sat down leaning herself against the school wall, the shade a welcome relief. She let her eyes close fully intending to sleep when she actually felt someone run up. Jade groaned internally already knowing who it was.

"Quite the performance in American History Jade," Drew taunted her. Jade forced her eyes open and regarded her classmate; if not for Uncle he would probably have given her an inherent dislike for people with glasses. So instead he had made her hate yellow hats.

"Not now Drew, I'm not feeling well," Jade answered dully. The boy was a bit put off that she hadn't risen to his challenge or gone on about some fantasy nonsense. It was actually a bit disturbing since energetic was the first thing that came to mind with Ninja Girl. But regardless of these thoughts he decided it was better to take advantage of the opportunity.

"What's the matter, wear yourself out fighting ninjas all night? Or did a demon cast a spell on you?" Drew taunted. Jade rose to her feet and walked away from him. Drew was pleased that his barbs seemed to be hitting particularly well today. While true, that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with Jade's aching head. She continued to walk about the playground and he pursued slowly.

"Maybe you should get some of those ninjas to help you study, or at least snag the answer sheet. I bet that wrestler could tutor you in Spanish," Drew went on.

A particularly troublesome throb went through Jade's head, prompting her to stop, pressing her open hand to the top of her hand as if to still the inside of her skull. Dwayne unfortunately had been walking behind her and not really paying attention, thus walking into the troubled Chinese girl's back.

It wasn't much all things considered. It just surprised her and set forward two hasty steps to recover her balance. But as is often the case with such incidents, it is not so much spark as the powder that has built up that causes the explosion. Frustrated to no end with how she felt and the embarrassment in class adding too the annoyance of Drew, misplaced aggression had come out to play.

She twirled around and, recalling reflexively what she had been taught, came up to him in stance and hit in the face. Hard. Looking down to were Drew cried on the ground, hands clasped over his mouth, a small trickle of blood leaking out, snapped Jade out of her daze.

"So not good," she muttered, the monitor blowing her whistle as she came onto the scene.

**_Later:_**

The principal's office was unimposing. The walls a light blue colored, adorned with landscapes, certificates, and a plaque holding some kind of slogan. The desk was big, but not unusually so and seemed to be decorated with family photos. All in all, very approachable. The atmosphere, however, was awkward and a little tense. Across from the balding gentleman who presided over the school sat Uncle looking rather disinterested and a bit impatient, a flustered Jackie Chan rubbing the back of his neck, and Jade slumped into her chair.

"I am so sorry for this Mr. Groves. There is no excuse for Jade's behavior," Jackie apologized profusely.

"Mr. Chan it is a sad fact that fights happen in public schools, but this is the second time Jade has caused such an incident. Frankly I am concerned, and her teacher has also expressed concerns regarding her performance. I understand you have been teaching her karate?" The principal asked putting his hands together.

"Yes, but I have made it very clear they martial arts are not meant to be used like this," Jackie answered firmly. The archaeologist turned a disapproving look onto his niece, but she hardly seemed to notice.

"Bah, is anything broken in the boy?" Uncle asked.

"Two of his teeth have been loosened," the Principal offered.

"Boy is very young, he'll grow new teeth. He should take it as life lesson on bad karma coming back to you," Uncle waved dismissively. Jackie cringed at Uncle's statement as Principal Groves lifted an eyebrow.

"Mr. Chan, while I do believe in holding children responsible to an extent, I have found in nearly every case like this the root of the problem is in the home environment. I understand your job requires a great deal of time and travel. Perhaps this is about attention? Though it could also be certain negative influences in the home," the principal espoused, his gaze glancing over to Uncle.

Jackie felt like sighing. His job required travel; the Principal thought the problem was him not being around. Jackie had trouble recalling a research trip Jade had not managed to invite herself on, and how many ended up involving a lot more than research. As for bad influences, with the list he could make Uncle's stubborn ways were definitely the lesser evil.

Uncle himself was unaware of the scrutiny he was under, or perhaps aware and not caring. He was glancing over at his niece studying her reactions. They were very interesting in that she seemed to not be reacting at all. Much like Jackie (and Uncle himself though he would never admit it) Jade had a tendency to overreact to things, but she was just sitting there.

What's more he felt something… off, about her. Uncle was not sure what exactly, but Chi Master Fong had taught him that to ignore one's honed intuition was to invite peril.

**_Uncle's Rare Finds:_**

The drive home was in silence; Jade had been suspended for the next day to return to school on Monday with detention. Jackie was angry, disappointed, and in general frustrated. The last one being directed a good bit at himself… no matter what he did it seemed he could not provide Jade the stable environment she needed to mature into a responsible person. Why was it that he had to be forced into a parent role just when his life became an endless struggle against the evil of the month?

He decided to wait until they got home to let the hammer fall.

"Jade, I am very disappointed in you. I have been teaching you the martial arts to defend yourself, not to hurt others! I only agreed to instruct you because I thought you had learned enough to know when to use what I taught. It seems I was wrong," Jackie stated. He could tell that last sentence in particular hit her hard; she shifted on her feet looking at the floor. With a sigh, he continued.

"You're grounded for the rest of the month, straight from here to school and back again. Your allowance is gone until further notice too," Jackie told her. She just nodded in response. Jackie frowned at that response; Jade was never this quiet even under circumstances like this. Going down on his knee he gently tilted her face up; she looked hardly any better than that morning, though he could see now her eyes were a little bloodshot.

"Jade, are you alright?" Jackie asked, his voice having lost its edge.

She briefly told him what she felt like to which he nodded before rising again.

"We'll get you an early dinner and something for your head and stomach, then it's off to bed," Jackie decided.

"I didn't mean to hurt him. The day was just going so lousy and he wouldn't leave me alone," Jade offered softly. Jackie put a hand on her small shoulder.

"I understand, but that is not an excuse," Jackie told her.

**_A Few Hours Later:_**

"I think something may be wrong with Jade," Uncle declared from his desk. Jackie looked up from the quarterly he was reading at Uncle's words. Uncle had called him to the library to talk openly, only to loose himself in some massive book. Tohru had even come in to serve Uncle's tea while he was waiting.

"I know what you mean, this is the second time he has punched a classmate. It's just not healthy having her involved with Shendu, the Dark Hand, and all the others we keep running into," Jackie admitted. At some pint Uncle had gotten up and now struck Jackie over the head in his patented two fingered strike.

"Wrong! Uncle is not talking about rude boy being struck. Jade's behavior has been strange today; the feel of her chi seems changed. Some foul sorcery may be at play," Uncle mused.

"Uncle, just because she is not feeling well does not mean some dark force is at work," Jackie almost chuckled at Uncles protective paranoia.

"Sensei. Last night I felt something amiss, and I felt the need to check on Jade," Tohru admitted sheepishly. Uncle scowled, seizing on the "evidence".

"You see, my apprentice is becoming more attuned! Jade possesses unusually high chi, even for one so youthful. Such a gift is bound to draw the notice of those who crave such," Uncle declared cryptically.

"We left the chi vampire in China, Uncle. Did you feel anything last night?" Jackie inquired. He took Uncle's lack of response as a no.

"Look Uncle, if Jade does not feel better in the morning I will take her to see someone. Maybe after that we will think about dark magic headaches," Jackie answered. Uncle gave another strike to his nephew's head before returning to his book.

"I hope we will not be sorry Jackie," Uncle thought as the hero took his leave.

* * *

The next day came and when Jade chose to sleep in rather than join the rest of them for breakfast no one thought much of it. Jackie had some business with the University and departed for the bulk of the day, while Uncle, as per usual, busied himself with his relics and books.

It was Tohru who, in the midst of his duties, took note of the time, and decided to check on Jade. Setting his broom aside he made his way down the hall to Jade's door. He rapped on the door with one massive knuckle and waited for a reply. She definitely replied but be could not quite make out what she said. With a slight frown he opened the door a smidge and waited; when no objection was voiced he opened it the rest of the way.

Jade's room was dark despite it being late morning, the lights were off, and she had even drawn her curtains. The only illumination was coming through the doorway around him and the odd sunbeam piercing the blinds. This was quite sufficient to make out Jade laying down on her bed, atop of her unmade blankets, and still wearing her pajamas.

"All you alright Jade?" Tohru asked, stepping into the room.

"No, close the door, please," Jade answered, the last word thrown in quickly as if she had forgotten it. Tohru obliged, closing the door and stepping up to her bedside. The Japanese man placed two fingers on the girl's forehead and gave a small nod to himself in confirmation.

"You have a bit of a fever; do you feel worse than yesterday?" Tohru inquired. Jade shook her head in response, her apparent lack of energy more unusual than the darkness she was keeping herself in.

"I did have some strange dreams," Jade admitted.

"Really?" Tohru responded, perhaps with a bit more emphasis than he intended. At her words he felt a brief prickling on his neck, an old instinct that something was not right. It was gone so quick he could not be sure it had been more than imagination.

"You need to come down for breakfast," Tohru decided. Jade crossed her arms and turned her head away from him.

"I'm not hungry," Jade told her friend. No sooner had the words left her mouth than her stomach voiced its own opinion. Positioned as he was he could not make out the sheepish and embarrassed look Jade got when she was found out, but was glad he could tell that was unchanged.

"How about I fix you a breakfast miso?" Tohru offered in a diplomatic tone. Jade perked up at that offer. Apparently it was not as bad as she could pass up a chance at one of her favorite foods. Tohru knew he was no chef but he was glad to have brought the cuisine of his homeland to an appreciative person.

"Cheater," Jade grumbled, but got out of bed following him out the door. She paused rubbing her eyes as he opened the door, but soon joined him in the kitchen, rifling through the day's newspaper for the comics and sports while he made the miso. She ate the brown stem with a normal pace, which was anything but normal for Jade; the incident with the rooster talisman had not dulled her liking for soup in the slightest, much to Jackie's dismay.

Recalling that night made Tohru pause in his clean up. While he pushed the memories and self-loathing back down he missed Jade finish and offer him a thanks before departing. When he looked up to find her place empty he was certain the knot he felt in his stomach was solely for what had happened back then.

* * *

It was not long after that when Uncle called for him in his typical nerve grating yell and the large man spent several hours dealing with a number of "one more things." Thus preoccupied it was not until well after Jackie returned and dinner was being ordered that anyone thought of Jade. It was actually Jackie who broached the topic as he finished placing the take out order.

"So is Jade feeling better?" He asked, putting down the phone.

"Uncle has not detected any dark chi intruding into the shop," Uncle informed them from his seat.

"Right," Jackie allowed. Uncle was starting get him a bit on edge with his talk of some dark force, but not everything that happened around them was rooted in the battle between good and evil. Really it wasn't!

"Jade had a bit of a temperature this morning, but she was well enough to eat her breakfast. She did say something about having strange dreams," Tohru added the last bit as an afterthought. While he was uncertain why he added that bit, Uncle's eyes lit up and he rose to whack Tohru with his elder fury strike.

"Why you not tell this to Uncle earlier?! What did she dream?" Uncle demanded.

"She did not tell me," Tohru admitted sheepishly. The truth was he had forgotten that bit of information until just then, and the fact that it had bothered him then lent some weight to his sensei's anger.

"Dreams mean nothing or everything! Jade's dreams may hold a clue to what is going on," Uncle declared.

"Uncle do you have any reason to think this has anything to do with magic?" Jackie demanded. As much as he respected Uncle's wisdom and knowledge he honestly could not see how his uncle took Jade's state and could honestly cry "bad magic".

"You do not trust your Uncle's intuition?" Uncle countered. Tohru interceded in the exchange.

"Jackie, Sensei, why don't we ask Jade?" the large man suggested.

Uncle's expression remained displeased, but Jackie seemed relieved that a pointless argument had been averted.

"Jade!" Jackie called. When no response was forthcoming Jackie began to move towards the kitchen doorway but the sound of a door closing confirmed the message had been received. It took longer than normal for Jade to make her way to the kitchen, and she raised Tohru's and Jackie eyebrows when she got there.

Jade did not look good. He hair was untidy and stuck to her head in places while hanging limply in others. Her complexion had clearly become fainter making the bags under her eyes all the more apparent. Finally, judging by her pajamas and smell she had not cleaned herself this morning and possibly the night before.

Without a word Jackie stepped up to Jade and kneeled, placing his palm on her forehand.

"Jade you're burning up," Jackie stated frowning.

"I don't feel so good," Jade admitted.

"Jade, have you been into Uncle's magic materials?" Uncle demanded. Jade turned to face Uncle, a perplexed look filling her face.

"What?" she asked.

"Have you been meddling with magic again and called down some manner of dark magic on you?!" Uncle demanded, raising his voice. In all fairness Jade did have a record for disastrous forays into the realm of chi magic.

"No, though I could use the Horse Talisman right about now," Jade answered. Uncle continued to regard Jade critically before turning on the spot and quickly walking off.

"This could be serious, you're going to see a doctor," Jackie told Jade. While normally she hated doctor appointments, she was more interested in feeling better.

"Take Jade to Section 13," Uncle called from outside the room.

"Yeah, old Doc Horsie will fix me right up," Jade perked up some at the thought of the healing talisman.

"No, the Talismans are not to be used lightly. You're going to see a real doctor and we'll find out what the problem is. Now you need to get dressed," Jackie said firmly.

Jade pouted at his assertion before heading back to her room. Jackie had never shared Jade's enthusiasm for the talismans after all. He was not a magic hater, but the less contact one had with dangerous artifacts like the Zodiac Talismans the better. He recalled how easily the Ox Talisman had taken over El Toro's life, and Viper would likely have become dominated by the Snake's abilities if he and Jade had not removed the temptation. They were strictly for emergencies.

"You are not going for Talisman! Doctor is expensive, Section 13 is free," Uncle shouted as he returned. He was carrying a long thin brush and a small fat clay bottle. Uncorking the bottle, a thin trail of green smoke rising from its depths, he dipped the brush lightly into whatever it contained. Jade returned as well, now clad in her usual hoodie and jeans. Uncle quickly turned his attention to the sick girl.

"Jade, hold still," Uncle commanded. Jade glanced to Jackie, who was also puzzled as to what Uncle was up to. Leaning down Uncle placed the bottle on the floor and held Jade's bangs back from her forehead, before plucking up the brush with his free hand. Without a word of explanation he began to draw on Jade's forehead crafting a strange character.

"Uncle?" Jackie asked.

"Ward against evil, drawn with magic ink. You take her to doctor, I draw ward, we see what works," Uncle declared. The ink was a bright green in color, glowing for a moment in the brush's wake before dulling and drying with unnatural haste. In a short time three green characters contained in a rectangle adorned Jade's forehead.

"I'll give you a call when we get to Section Thirteen," Jackie reassured his friend and uncle as he and Jade stepped out. Stepping out into the sun, Jade squinted at the bright light pounding her head and pulled up her hoodie, Jackie mistaking the act as an attempt to conceal the odd marks on her face.

**_Prison Kitchen:_**

Daolon Wong glared at the ingredients spread out before him on the kitchen floor. The scene was practically the same as last time, though the odor of onions was replaced with tomatoes. More relevantly, Hak Foo was not present. The mercenary had been true to his word and attempted to escape on his own, and failure had landed him in solitary confinement.

The wizard scowled at the turn of events. Hak Foo had been his one reliable servant; had he possessed the warrior's might all along he may have gained enough talisman power to crush his wizardly adversary. Now he had to rely on the Enforcers for aid, a grim turn of events considering their many defeats even when empowered by his magic. Yet even they were slipping from his grasp! The red haired one in particular seemed to think he was a dog that had lost his teeth.

Tonight's ritual was key; if he gained his freedom it would be only a matter of time until he regained the basic level of magic power that would let him unlock his true power. Failure would mean losing his control over the fools and having to carry out any further plans by himself.

For all this knowledge on what was needed he still had only the same materials as last time. That only made him uneasy, while he could tell the spell had some effect last time he could not determine what he had failed to summon. He had used the implements of the kitchen to etch magical markings on the pot; they would significantly boost the potency of his alchemy. Performing a spell when you do not know what it does is the height of folly among wizards. Yet placed in between a tiger and ravine Daolon Wong knew his only choice was to jump and hope it was not to his doom.

Having settled on his course the dark wizard banished all doubts and set to work.

**_Section 13: Medical Center_**

Jade sat slouching on the edge of the raised bed/table in a medical examination room. Her expression was put down and with her feet dangling in the air she seemed smaller than normal. The doctor assigned the task by Captain Black ignored the attitude, though he himself was hardly focused. He was no pediatrician and did not appreciate being used in what he saw as just a sort of nepotism. But the man with the receding hairline was a professional and looked over the symptoms and results of his examination thus far with a critical eye.

"Any ideas?" Jackie asked from where he was stared off to the side.

"The examination is not yet concluded, Mr. Chan," the doctor answered. As he did he looked up from the clipboard to fix Jackie with a look that said "given a choice I would not even be here, so do not bother me with stupid questions." You can say a lot with a look it turns out. He fixed a particularly disgusted look on the green makings adorning Jade's forehead… some kind of Asian medicine he had been told.

Tapping an entry on the symptoms column he made a speculative "hurm" before withdrawing a very tiny narrow flashlight from his instrument rack. Walking over to Jade he turned the light on.

"Please look directly into the light for as long as you can," the doctor ordered. He directed the light to shine directly into Jade's right eye, which almost immediately began to water and snapped shut before the Doctor even counted to five.

"_Optical sensitivity is unusually high, and no record of any such problems,_" he thought to himself.

"Well nothing solid so far, but some of the symptoms cold result from prolonged insomnia. When was the last time she slept and for how long?" he inquired.

"Hey! I slept last night! I had a dream about ninjas so I know I was sleeping," Jade snapped. The doctor affected a long-suffering expression as he crossed that idea off the board.

**_Prison Kitchen:_**

The Enforcers had abandoned their tasks to watch as the wizard set himself to chanting. This was it, in a few minutes they might actually be free, and clear of demons, wizards, and the rest of the fantasy section.

As before the potion began to steam and bubble, the mark of the Shadowkhan etching itself onto the liquid. Now though, the characters etched on the pot flared to life burning with blue fire. The potion came to a fierce boil, while the mark's light intensified to cast the kitchen into red and black. The pot cracked and then split in two as red light exploded outward. The lights went out and darkness swallowed the chamber.

**_Section 13 Medical Center:_**

The doctor was depressing Jade's tongue with the traditional wooden device to inspect her throat when her jaws abruptly snapped shut, splitting the depressor in two. Surprised, the Doctor reflexively jerked back and prepared to scold Jade when he registered her falling back onto the bed jerking violently.

"Crap!" he cursed. Rushing forward his first act was to swiftly pluck the depressor from her mouth, eliminating the choking hazard. Pinning the thrashing child by the shoulder he pulled out his wallet and shoved it in her mouth to protect her tongue. No sooner had he lodged the piece of leather between her jaws did her knee rise up to strike him in the chin. Intentional or not it had power, sending the medical man falling back onto his ass. Rubbing his jaw, he recalled Jackie and called out to the shocked man.

"Hold her still as best as you can! I'm calling help," the doctor declared. As he grabbed the phone built into the wall Jackie sprang into action, pinning Jade's writing limbs with ease against the led. The poor man's panic was compounded as foam started to form around the wallet jammed in her mouth.

It was when his frantic gaze strayed upward to her eyes that a piece of ice dropped into his stomach. The prominent veins in her eyes were glowing. As he watched helplessly and speechless the red glow expanded, joining together until her pupils were black pits in seas of crimson. As the black spots were swallowed a dreaded memory was coming to life before him.

"Call my uncle! Tell him he was right!" Jackie screamed at the doctor. A hissing sound snapped his attention back to Jade; steam was rising from her brow as Uncle's ink began to run. Seeing no other option Jackie released Jade's legs, slapping his now free hand onto his niece's forehead in the hopes of somehow keeping Uncle's spell intact.

As Jade's cheek started to darken, one of her feet slammed into his cheek. Jackie took the blow, not compromising his grip on the girl, and realized with confusion that her leg was bare of any tattoo.

Jackie was too preoccupied to notice and the doctor too shocked to warn him as a pair of black clad ninjas emerged from the room's shadows, crimson eyes aglow. Ignoring the man in white they struck swiftly, yanking Jackie off of Jade and slamming him into the tile floor. One seized the archaeologist's arms, pining them behind his back as he held him down. The other placed a steadying hand on Jade's shoulder as her movements stilled.

Managing to shake the stars from his eyes Jackie pulled his face from the tile and looked to the side to see a wallet plop to the ground.

"Eck!" he heard an airy exclamation.

Already dreading the sight he craned his neck to look up. Jade was floating over him, in front of the bed, her skin that same shade of blue, her hair flowing as if in a ghost wind, and a pair of red eyes coldly regarded him. It got worse as her face was split by a grin overflowing with foul mirth that revealed a mouth full of pointed teeth.

"Well it looks like I'm not 'grounded' anymore," the Queen of the Shadowkhan sneered.

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AN: _Finally! I started work on this idea back in August and now after the idea spread out into project Dark Jade and other ideas coming up it finally bursts its way into my control room to take the muse hostage! Be sure to check out Nocturne no Kitsune's take on Queen Jade in_ "**Queen of Shadows**."

**Review Please**: _The button beckons, can you resist its clicky charms?_


	2. Recruits

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**Disclaimer:**** I do not own JCA, it is the property of its owners. Along With Nocturne No Kitsune I do stake a certain creative claim to Project Dark Jade and its member stories. But we are not lawyers or money makers here, so stop worrying and enjoy. Enjoy I say!**

To my reviewers: Please message at bottom.

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_Queen of All Oni_

A P.D.J. Story:

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Chapter II

Recruits

_or "How They Learned to Stop Worrying and Sign on the Dotted Line"_

"This is unexpected," The Queen stated. Bending over, she inspected her leg and found the blue skin unblemished. She grinned again at the sight.

"I don't know how or why, but I'm glad," she snickered. Her face became serious as she drew herself back up and regarded Jackie pensively.

"Well now, what to do with you? I do owe you a bit so I can't be too harsh, I guess. Maybe have them only break all four of your…" she pondered before trailing off. Her head started to tilt forward as her eyes drooped half shut. Whatever force made her float gave out and she would have fallen to the ground had the Shadowkhan behind her not caught her under the shoulders.

"Jade!" Jackie cried out. The terror and confusion over the transformation was forgotten as he saw his niece practically collapse. After a moment that seemed far longer to him she stirred, her eyes popping wide open.

"Have to answer," she spoke in a strange monotone. Floating again, her stature nearly rigid, the girl ducked under the hospital bad and vanished into the shadow as if it were a black lake. The pair of demon ninjas lingered for a moment, as if uncertain how to proceed at this turn of events. In the end they departed as they came, silently melting into the shadows, leaving Jackie to pick himself up and the doctor to keep muttering to himself.

"Bad day," Jackie moaned as he fished his cell phone out of his pocket. Before he could hit the speed dial a half dozen agents charged in, pistols drawn. Knowing from experience to just freeze and let them secure the room Jackie impatiently waited. Thankfully it was not long until a bald man in a black coat entered the room at a brisk pace. The Chief of Section 13 took note of the slight signs of a disturbance, Jackie on his knees in the midst of operating a cell phone, and lastly a member of the medical staff curled in a corner mumbling something.

"Jackie?" Captain Black asked.

"It's Jade, she… she's gone ninja again," Jackie managed, recalling Black's own words from last time. For a moment the Section 13 chief's brow furrowed in confusion, and changed to worry as he connected the dots. He was not about to forget how easily Jade had taken his base from him with an army of ninja at her command. Frankly the experience had been quite humiliating.

"In that case we're going on full alert; your Uncle and the big guy placed some spells after the chi wizard broke in. However with these situations nothing ever seems to go like it's supposed to," the captain responded. Come to think of it the man he had later learned was a reanimated statue also tore through Section 13 like a wet paper bag.

"Good idea. I need to talk to Uncle," Jackie told his friend. The secret agent nodded his assent; it had taken a great deal to take the Chans' superstitions seriously – a fire-breathing dragon to be precise. However, while a skeptic by nature he did not deny facts, and the fact was that the old man and Tohru were vastly more equipped to deal with this than all of section 13. Hearing Jackie screaming into the cell in panic, he really wished they had some more options.

Perhaps he should try and get the budget to retain their own wizard? They had clearly fallen onto the wrong side of a magic gap.

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Prison Kitchen:

Daolon Wong grinned shamelessly as the dark chi overflowed from the pot before him. The potency of the dark purple energy was low, swiftly becoming nothing more than odd steam as it left the caldera to swirl around the seated wizard. Still, he felt the undeniable satisfaction of all dark wizards, the knowledge that he had just bent the shape of the world to his will. Had he cared to notice he would have been satisfied to see the Enforcers properly awed/intimidated by the display of power. Despite their unusual amount of experience, they are some things you just do not get used to.

It was with silence that a figure rose from the purple, black hair tossed about in a nonexistent wind. The chill that had descended over the kitchen broke with a gust of wind as the chi contained in the spell was released, its purpose achieved. As a side effect the air was cleared, which along with the lights flickering back on allowed him a better view of what he had summoned. A smaller entity than he had expected to be sure, and… wearing an orange hoodie?

"Eh?" The wizard commented, tilting his head. As it turned out, it was one of the Enforcers who first made sense of what they were seeing.

"Wait, isn't that Chan's girl?" Ratso spoke up uncertainly. Jade's eyes snapped open at the sound, revealing the crimson orbs beneath; though the intimidation factor was diminished significantly as she glanced about the kitchen with apparent confusion.

"Wait, you're the one who put me back in business!?" Jade exclaimed as she focused on Daolon Wong. While the Enforcers continued to regard her with slightly dropped jaws the wizard had already recovered from the surprising turn of events.

"This is… unexpected," the dark wizard commented. Rising from his lotus position he towered over the demonic child. Interpreting some challenge she bared her razor teeth, with four Shadowkhan rising from her own shadow to flank her. To his credit the wizard was undaunted by the display and merely scowled his displeasure, a critical gaze sweeping over all five figures.

"Regardless, I have called you to my service. I command you to use whatever power you possess to liberate me from this place!" the fallen wizard decreed. He emphasized the dramatic declaration by sweeping his arms wide. Jade responded by lifting an eyebrow, holding out her right hand and snapping her fingers. The demon ninja on her farthest right sprang forward in a blur of black, landing a powerful punch into the wizard's gut. As the old man nearly folded in half and fell to the ground, Jade gave him and the Enforcers a fanged sneer.

"All you idiots did was dial my number; I had to pick up, but that's it. Knock him out," Jade stated. The assailing Khan kicked Daolon Wong in the head apparently achieving his objective. The Queen smiled at the offending ninja in apparent approval for his technique.

"Bad day for him," Jade commented, floating up to the prone man. She turned her attention now to the Enforcers, who had been edging towards the kitchen door. They froze, realizing they had lost any chance at a get away. Jade pursed her lips, her gaze roaming over the three criminals as she seemed to size them up.

Chow and Finn recalled a similar feeling when Wong recruited them, and feared they were in for some kind of repeat. Ratso, either foolishly or wisely, was wondering just how in the hell Chan's brat had gone all red eyed and spooky. All three felt dread as Jade's expression morphed into a smile, which frankly came across as rather creepy. Sharp pointy teeth will have that effect, and glowing red eyes do not help.

"You three seem to be caught up in everything that happens to me. True, you're losers, but you have been able to keep up with Uncle Jackie. After last time I think I need some assistance, and you three idiots are not really a threat. So how'd ya like some jobs?" Jade offered.

"What, no way! We're getting clear of all this magic crap!" Finn shouted, waving his hands in a desist motion.

"Yeah, and last time we made a deal like that we ended up as orange elves," Chow added. Ratso ran a hand though his hair, recalling how his childhood dread of baldness had been realized.

"Why are you all evil? You play for the other team," Ratso put in. Jade ignored the large man's question, turning her attention on the others.

"I'll pay you in cash, lots of cash," Jade offered.

"…An advance?" Finn offered as a question. Jade narrowed her eyes in consideration. Finn took a step back; he did not really think he could escape the hammer that was getting ready to fall, but why not try?

"If I had a powerful magic book, would you try and steal it?" Queen Jade asked. Finn and Chow stood still trying to figure out if she was serious or not with a question out of left field; while their comrade, still being himself, seemed to consider the query briefly.

"What would we do with a magic book?" Ratso answered. He received a, thankfully, closed mouth grin in return for his answer.

"Alright, an advance, but if you betray me or steal from me I will have my ninja feast on your brains… where did that come from?" Queen Jade murmured the last bit.

"Deal," the Enforcers chimed. Working for criminal organizations, death threats in the event of betrayal were standard after all.

"Sweet. Is Hak Foo around?" Jade asked, glancing about for the red haired mercenary.

"Hak's in Solitary," Ratso volunteered. The Queen sighed at the news but then her grin returned.

"We'll just have to get him out then," Jade floated forward, looking down on Wong's unconscious form with contempt.

"Shendu made the mistake of leaving loose ends lying around; I won't. Take him to the roof of the old Dark Hand hideout, I'll meet you there later," Jade instructed one of her ninja. The indicated Shadowkhan walked up to Wong and placed a sandaled foot on the fallen wizard's shoulder. Without further ceremony the two of them sunk through the floor and out of sight.

"You two will also wait there while I finish up here," Jade stated, indicating Ratso and Chow with her extended index and middle fingers.

"See you there, uh, boss," Ratso affirmed some uncertainty on the last word. Following the indications of one of the remaining Shadowkhan, the two walked up to a wall and with some hesitation stepped into it with the ninja. Which left goof old Finn in the unenviable position of being alone with two Shadowkhan and his worst nightmare's niece, the latter hopped up on evil apparently.

"Well Red, for your sake you better know the way to Solitary," Jade remarked. Still hovering, she made her way towards the door, the two remaining Khan flanking her two steps behind. Falling back on currying instincts, Finn closed the distance between himself and the door, opening it for Jade to pass through.

"No need to worry, nothing gets by the Finn," the Irish-American proclaimed. When life gets in your face the best thing to do is to roll with the punches and hope for an opening, Finn's personal philosophy once more came to the front.

"I can think of many, many things that have gotten by you, leader among fools. This is why I want a human possessing some kind of competence in my service. Now move it," Jade commanded.

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Uncle's Rare Finds:

The sounds of yelling frantic pacing and general one-man panic pervaded the antique store as Jackie Chan proceeded to lose it.

His panic attack was derailed as a pair of fingers struck the top of his head. While Jackie rubbed the newly throbbing spot he realized the strike had been more forceful than usual – that was not good. Looking over to the wizard his thoughts were confirmed; the usual irritation was absent, instead his eyes were weary. Jackie found a teacup forcefully thrust into his hand.

"Tea. Sit." Uncle commanded sharply. Jackie promptly sat himself in the nearest chair, and noticed Tohru leaning against the doorway. The giant of a man looked shell-shocked… in fact considering the news that could accurately describe what he was feeling. Uncle himself took a sip of his own tea before turning to address his nephew.

"Jade has fallen under the powers of darkness once more. We have no time to waste panicking; either help or go away until you can do something useful," Uncle told Jackie. Jackie nodded; he was still bowled over by his niece's condition, but Uncle was right, for her sake he had to try and keep a grip.

"How did this happen?" Jackie asked the question that had been plaguing him since her skin began to darken.

"You are certain tattoo has not reappeared?" Uncle reiterated.

"Yes, at least not were it used to be. Jade also did not find the tattoo, she was surprised," Jackie told them. He reflected grimly on his brief one-sided conversation with Jade as he was pinned down.

"Hmm, mostly bad news but some good news. Without tattoo there is no simple source of bad magic to wipe out. We will have to catch her and do research if we hope to return her to her proper state. Good news is that she is not receiving flow of dark chi from dark forces. Jade will not be so formidable as he was last time, but a clearer mind could make her more dangerous," Uncle announced. He did not announce an "I told you so" as would have in character for the old wizard. Normally he found it beneficial to humble/humiliate his too secular minded nephew, but under the circumstances he was certain such words would do far more harm than good.

"After Tohru destroyed tattoo Uncle examined Jade to make sure no bad magic remained in her. Sadly there was a scar left," Uncle announced.

"What?" Jackie spoke up, only to be smacked down again. Uncle inspected his own teacup and frowned.

"Tohru! More tea, Uncle's nerves must not be frayed," the shopkeeper demanded.

Uncle waited for the tea in silence, arms crossed, with his right index tapping his left shoulder. When his assistant returned with the tea the wizard took a sip before resuming as if there had been no interruption.

"Jade's metamorphosis was no mere shape changing. Like with Monkey Talisman, only form changed, mind and chi left untouched by process. But Demon Archive is very powerful and dangerous, even the outside. Though Jade only drew the mark on her skin its inherent power was strong enough to make the ink seep into her skin bonding to her as tattoo.

"When she changed, she did not only gain power and new appearance, her chi was warped as darkness flowed into her. She turned on us, invaded Section 13 and was willing to ally with Shendu to gain power. Jade stopped being herself and became a darker reflection. A shadow, same shape and many similarities, but defined by darkness.

"Such things do not leave one unscathed. Fortunately Tohru was able to destroy tattoo, and without it the darkness withered before Jade's own too abundant chi. But still, a scar of sorts was left behind in her very chi. It was no threat to my eyes, a black grain on a white beach; nothing more than a marker of what she once was.

"Uncle was mistaken it would seem. Somehow, power was poured into that scar returning that vanquished darkness to life. It has been part of Jade since then, not an outside infection. Uncle does not know for certain what her mind and power is now."

A ringing sound interrupted the wizard's theorizing. Jackie withdrew his cell phone and after checking the caller ID answered it. Only the fact it might be important kept Uncle from smacking him for the interruption, he decided to wait till later for punishment.

"Captain Black," he greeted. Listening, a look of wide-eyed surprise appeared on his face followed by steely determination. Recognizing the change for what it was Torhu pulled himself from the frame and drew up to his impressive full height.

"We'll meet you there," Jackie answered, hanging up.

"Jade has been spotted, at the prison holding the Dark Hand," Jackie told his uncle and friend gravely.

"Daolon Wong," Uncle whispered, his eyes flashing with grim determination.

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_Prison:_

Shouting, breaking glass, metal chiming against metal, and general sounds of chaos filled the prison. A riot was well under way as freed convicts ran wild, either making a bid for freedom or just raising Cain for laughs. Amidst the confusing brawl between guards and convicts two figures walked calmly, and undisturbed – a pale pointy red head and a blue girl floating at eye level with him.

The convicts were surprisingly the smart ones; taking a single look at the bizarre sight they decided they wanted no part in that. Some of the guards, though, seeing another prisoner out ignored the girl to focus on their duty. Only to have a Shadowkhan pounce upon them before they got with in spitting distance of Finn and incidentally the girl.

"What did I tell ya? A brief detour and a few flipped switches and you have all the time in the world. Want to break out, you start a riot, that's a lesson they don't give you in school," Finn remarked, slicking back his hair. He was affecting cool composure as he walked in the eye of the storm, but he was truly making use of his skill at bluffing.

In a way he felt he should be used to this crap by now, he realized. After all, ever since Big V acquired Shendu sanity had been leaking out of his life. Jackie Chan might have been the beginning of the end for the good times, but that lousy dragon was where it had really started.

First working for a possessed statue with delusions of grandeur, and the loot goes and turns to dust in his hands; literally! After that, you get some sweet magic talismans to make up for squandered time only for your boss to get possessed and drag you on a quest to release still more ancient jerks in the world. This time, no loot at all and you're left deep in the red. Next job offer you take results in you turning orange and being enslaved to a dark elf with a bad attitude. Then you get arrested.

Finn was starting to think he should have kept solo. True, on his first job the jewel was not only cursed, but also somehow connected with Jackie Chan! Still he had clearly had the right idea, get away from Jackie Chan and all things associated. Frankly, if DW had pulled off an escape Finn had been planning on high tailing back to Boston, put the whole 48 between him and Chinatown.

But now here he was, in all likelihood caught up in yet another world domination scheme involving the "m" word. With Chan's brat as his new boss no less, apparently going through the preadolescent rebellion from hell.

"Should I be surprised? Should I really still be surprised?" Finn wondered to himself. Oh well, he thought, at least he was getting out of jail and she said something about paying him for his time. Take what you can get was practically holy writ among criminals.

"And here we are, Solitary Confinement! Population Hak and Foo, delivered as requested," Finn exclaimed, making a presenting gesture to Jade as they reached the labeled steel door. Jade rolled her eyes at his antics.

"You three remain here," the Queen hissed. Floating up to the door she brushed it with her hand, setting ripples through the metal like liquid, and phased through it. Finn glanced at the two Shadowkhan standing near him.

"So, you guys get dental?" he asked.

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The Queen of the Shadowkhan's vision cleared of the swirling black mist that marked her transitions, revealing the solitary confinement cells. In all honesty she was underwhelmed, before her was a relatively small hallway lined by steel doors. Granted they were tough looking, and even possessed the eye slits and dish doors like you see in the movies. But come on, this was supposed to be punishment for convicts already in freaking prison, at least pull out a few of the stops.

At least it was easy to locate her quarry; of all the cells only one held a paper card in the setting next to it, which identified the occupant. Sliding the slit open she stared into darkness. The room was barren save for a battered old toilet and an excessively plain wooden cot, upon which sat Hak Foo himself. The mercenary seemed to be meditating in the lotus position; she found that quite amusing for the loudest martial artist she had ever meet. He seemed uninterested in the noise from the riot, and unaware of her presence.

"Jade Chan," he remarked evenly. Okay, not unaware of her presence. The Queen blinked in surprise – either his eyes were slightly open or he had been improving his senses in spades.

"It's Queen Jade now, I no longer need a second name. But how nice of you to remember, I don't think the others even bothered to remember my name," she chuckled.

"I never forget a name or face, not when it belongs to one I intend to destroy," the mercenary answered. His eyes opened fully now and he gazed through the slit meeting Jade's crimson orbs steadily.

"That's no way to start off an interview," Jade chided.

"I see the wizard's pathetic spell managed to go horribly wrong," Hak commented.

"Oh I would have to disagree there. He corrected a great wrong by restoring me to the glory I was so unfairly stripped of by my so called friends and family," Jade laughed.

"So you are opposing Chan," Hak observed.

"He's opposing me, trying to hold me back and keep me weak like always!" the Queen hissed.

"I despise Chan, but against all odds he has prevailed against powers that brought ancient empires to their knees. A mere child like you as an opponent is like a rabbit facing the wolf," Hak sneered.

"Ah, but he had _me_ helping him back then, without my Jadeness he would have failed _sooo_ many times. I would like to see the pathetic effort they put up without me spurring things along," Jade chuckled.

"Arrogant brat," Hak Foo stated. Jade scowled at that, her hair stirring as she drew closer to the door slot.

"I'm not the one in prison, big talker. Finn told me that you're in here because you got caught trying to break out. I guess 'cat does not get out of bag'," Jade sneered. Hak answered her with a glower.

"How long will it be till you get out? How much will your skills and power diminish inside these walls? That is assuming you escape at all. Pledge yourself to me, and you get out here and now," the Queen of the Shadowkhan declared. He was on his feet in the blink of an eye, his face twisted in anger.

"Submit myself to a child?! The blood of a man I have sworn to destroy? You are not arrogant, you are mad!" he roared. She only smiled at his reaction, showing off all those pointy teeth. Despite himself Hak Foo felt unease at the sight.

"Of course you have your pride, bruised and battered as it is you still nurse it. You had your moment after all. As a Dark Chi warrior you surpassed even Jackie, going from 'elephant smashes wall' to 'asteroid wipes out dinosaurs'. You dream about that power, and how much further you might have taken it, before it was taken from you.

"I too want power, and unlike Shendu I am willing to share with those that are deserving. Serve me and you get your freedom, and a promise that I will grant you power," Queen Jade offered. His expression did not ease, but she could see it behind his eyes. That pride of his warring with the driving need to surpass others – especially Jackie Chan.

She said nothing when he went down on one knee. He had stood by Valmont when the Enforcers left; even if he hated her he would not break his allegiance. Without comment she slipped through the door and laid a hand on his shoulder, drawing both of them down into the darkness.

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**Author's Note:**

_Well here is chapter zwei, if you follow my activities on this site you are probably quite surprised to see it so soon. I know I am. Working on this felt more than a bit like a cheat, after all fans of Jumping Fox have been waiting since December for an update, and January for KTLW readers. But thankfully having finally gotten this story online and out of my head my creative river seems to have burst a dam. Thus the long parched valley of production is once more divided by the flow of nurturing inspiration and fruit may be borne in abundance once more._

_And of course a big thanks to the ever reliable Zim'smostloyalservant, for having my back as a beta._

_So if you agree here from my other stories and wondering Jumping Fox is in full swing, I have a new beta and the rough draft is almost completed and hopefully you will see a new chapter in the near future. My strange Avatar story is also back in business with the rough draft being written._

**To my reviewers:** _You people are magnificent! Going into this project I realized I would be in one of the less used fandoms. The fact that Nocturne's wonderful_ Queen of Shadows_ gained only_ five reviews _made me fearful that my lesser contribution would be lucky to gain a single piece of feedback. (If you have not taken a look at Nocturne's contribution please do so, as his masterful imagery puts my own skills to shame.) As such each review has boosted my morale; and likely the reason I felt compelled to disregard line up to get this chapter out is to express my gratitude for you proving my fears wrong. _

_The appreciation you have expressed and hopefully continue to show gives me hope that Project Dark Jade will eventually be completed in its entirety. _

_You had best return soon Nocturne, or I might be overcome by eagerness and breakout the fourth. _

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Please Review.


	3. Plots

_Disclaimer: Well here we go again. I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures, it belongs to those who own it, possibly Jackie Chan himself but I really do not know. If I did own it Jade would have kept some magical powers from the Queen of the Shadowkhan incident._

_Thanks to Zim'smostloyalservant, for stalwart betaing._

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Plots!:

_Or "What Do We Do Now?"_

_Oakland, Later:_

The predawn light had begun to eat away at the darkness. Between the stirrings of the new day and the flicker of streetlamps, a thief made his way through the alleys and back ways. Disheveled of look and burlap sack slung over his shoulder, he looked exactly like what he was, a man who, having fallen on hard times, willfully stooped to theft.

Satisfied he had put ample distance between himself and the site of his burglary, he stopped to empty his take on a pile of cut up cardboard boxes. Judging by the noises he made as he sifted through the meager pile much of what he pilfered was not worth the effort of fencing.

Others would have thought "How did it come to this?" but this man knew full well how his life had come to this dreadful nadir. Once he had held the triple crowns of the Underworld – wealth, power, and respect. He had not been untouchable or the greatest but he had been among the few and the powerful on this continent and a reputation across much of the world. Now… now he was reduced to pillaging the wretches of society for his daily bread.

He had once feared, with all favors and resources exhausted, he would be arrested and left with no means of escape. Then a most demoralizing truth had struck home; no one was bothering to look for him. He was yesterday's news, his enemies could not do anything worse than leave him to rot in failure and the law had genuine threats to deal with. The sheer irrelevance of his current condition grated more than even his spectacular defeats.

Irritated by reflection, he returned what swag he deemed worth it to his bag, leaving the rest as garbage. Time to return to his pathetic excuse for a flat and get a better assessment of his meager take.

He took idle notice of the small puddle in his path, until his foot sank into the deceptively deep pothole to drench his sock. Pulling his further ruined shoe back into the air he vainly shook the moisture from it.

"Could it possibly get worse?" he growled under his breath. As if Murphy had heard his words, a shadow detached itself from the wall to stand behind him. Satisfied it had indeed located its mark, the Shadowkhan grabbed the neck of his beat up jacket and pulled him back into the shadows. He had only time for an inarticulate cry of surprise and outrage before the shadows overtook him.

He came out of the shadows facing forward somehow. That fact made him stop and blink for a moment, as a single word that he had so come to despise leapt to the front of his mind; magic.

His surprise giving way to rage at being swept up by this again, he whirled to admonish his abductor only to freeze anew at the sight.

"Shadowkhan?" he asked shocked. They black garbed ninja with the glowing red eyes could be nothing else. Another specter from his past, apparently come back to haunt him anew.

"Big V, you made it!" a familiar voice called out. Turning with greater calm as he tried to assess the situation, he noticed what he had missed before. He was in a large long room, long abandoned judging from the emptiness and stained windows. Off to the interior wall a card table had been set up and under the light of a lamp his three former Enforcers had apparently been playing a game of cards. Now they rose to greet him apparently.

He halted their advance with a raised hand, with a cocked eyebrow and the superior air of a crime lord he seemed prepared to take charge of the situation.

"You three, the Shadowkhan, what is going on?" he demanded. His tone was calm but still he managed to pull off a menacing order somewhere between the words. Valmont was quite pleased to see the trio draw themselves up and back; it had been two long since he had commanded respect.

"The new boss wants to see you," Chow supplied.

"New boss?" Valmont wondered. Last he had seen them they had been orange and under the thumb of that vile old man. Word had been that they had all joined the wizard in prison, courtesy of Jackie Chan.

Overlooking the humiliation of their last encounter, Valmont had a score to settle with the wizard.

Finn pointed down the room and Valmont followed with his gaze, eyes widening with the realization that this was his old office. Just when he had been reminiscing about the old glory days, and now he was back here.

Needless to say, his desk was gone, likely rotting in some Section 13 evidence room. The only furnishing at that far end was a large plush recliner on wheels, facing away from him. He could only assume this new boss was sitting there waiting to address him in his own time. Disgraced though he may be, Valmont was a man of breeding and would not suffer a stranger's rudeness lightly. At a sedate pace he made his way down the room.

"Who are you?" he asked politely enough.

Coming within a few feet of the chair, he halted as a pair of Shadowkhan rose from the darkness to flank the chair. The implied threat was clear. But it seemed his query was acknowledged as the chair began to turn, revealing the boss's identity in the eastern light gleaning through the windows.

He was a she as it turned out, and apparently a Shadowkhan. It was small like a child, dressed in – from what he could tell – ninja attire like its subordinates, but it differed in the black cloak that hung from its shoulders concealing much of its form. The most obvious difference was its uncovered head; rather than a mask, a silver circlet glinted atop its head, resting upon spiky back hair.

The hair was the trigger as he took in the face and recalled his last encounter with the Shadowkhan.

"You!" he shouted, taking a step back. Even he didn't know if it was a question or an accusation. Either way she answered with a fanged grin.

"Me. But now that we are past that, let's talk business," Queen Jade smiled at the fallen boss.

_

* * *

_

Uncle's Rare Finds:

"Sixteen days ago, Jade Chan for reasons unknown resumed her role as Queen of the Shadowkhan. Shortly thereafter she departed Section 13, apparently under some compulsion since she had you at her mercy.

"She next surfaced at Lucias Prison where she liberated the Dark Hand members, Finn, Chow, and Ratso. Additionally, under cover of a riot triggered by Shadowkhan opening several cell blocks, Jade was observed with Finn to proceed to solitary confinement, where the absence of Hak Foo makes it clear he was also broken out.

"Most disturbing is the absence of one Daolon Wong, dark wizard and general evil world dominating troublemaker. We can only assume he is the one behind Jade's transformation and that he has her under his control as a means to his jailbreak, and whatever it is evil wizards do.

"Since then, the San Francisco area has been under a crime spree which we have confirmed to be brought about by the escaped Dark Hand members working in conjunction with the Shadowkhan. Media management has been able to keep a lid on the nature of these robberies, placing the blame on the Yakuza stepping up their game. Thankfully, few people would seriously believe magical ninjas are to blame.

"Our underworld informants have heard about a new group that is allegedly responsible for these crimes. They are calling themselves the Shadow Hand. Clearly, the Dark Hand is trying to retake its old groove with magic spicing it up.

"It seems an old friend of ours is back in business too – Valmont. He has been running in the underground acting as a capo for the Shadow Hand; he seems to be in charge of converting the merchandise and artifacts they have stolen into cash and laundering that money. Unfortunately, while we know what he is up to, our sources cannot give us any details that we can use."

Captain Black concluded his speech and took a sip from his mug of coffee. The Chans had congregated to hear what he had to report; old news mostly, but still having it all laid out might reveal something.

"Very strange. Daolon Wong is a chi wizard, earthly riches are not of interest to him, nor is running a gang," Uncle commented. The wizard stared into his tea as if the leaves would reveal the pattern he could not see himself.

"With all due respect money can open most doors. If he is down on magic maybe he is looking for money and muscles to regain it? Like Shendu used the Dark Hand," Captain Black offered.

"But why Valmont? Wong cursed him and made the Enforcers his slaves. Why would they still follow him?" Jackie puzzled.

"When dealing with Dark Forces, in appearances place no faith," Uncle stated grimly.

Torhu listened to the discussion with half an ear. Not long ago he had been beside himself with worry and avidly taking in any news. But now sensei had provided some much-needed direction. In not so polite terms, he had been told to stop doing nothing and contribute. A smack had been given for his question as to how.

Research and follow your instinct. And he was doing just that, sitting on the staircase with a small stack of books resting next to his large frame. He was not sure where his dharma was taking him, but this feeling of not quite calm lead him to believe he was moving at least vaguely in the right direction.

The mention of Valmont had broken his concentration. Jade being near that man was quite unsettling; the Enforcers were like he had been, willing to do most anything for money, but aside from that fatal vice they could be considered… tolerable men. Valmont though, he was a proudly amoral man who lacked any form of honor; he was the type to sacrifice a loyal follower just to defend his own pride.

Taking a deep breath, the apprentice chi wizard gathered himself and returned to his studies.

"_Hmm, onions? I thought mother made that up,_" he thought to himself as he read.

_

* * *

_

Shadow Hand HQ:

"Robberies from both banks and private residences are yielding high return. I had some trouble finding middle men to connect us with buyers on the stolen art and artifacts, but we have now liquidated half our stock of such items with above satisfactory results," Valmont announced. He was seated at a long table Jade had moved into her office, his former office. The room was decorated in a grim Asian style with dark colors, predominantly blue and black. Thankfully, the chairs' heights remained Western he thought.

The boss – brat – had called them all together for a meeting and asked him to give a status report. For all the interest she seemed to take. She could have passed for some undersized royal with her crown and throne at the table's head, with those two Khan that she had designated as her bodyguards. He knew it was the same two because they had taken to wearing colored sashes across their chests, the left one red like his eyes, and the right a pale blue; she had taken to calling them Left and Right after their respective positions.

Yes, with those two menacing figures flanking her, combined with position and attire, she cut a menacing figure, if not for the game boy. Shortly after he had started his report she had taken the device from her cloak – whether from a hidden pocket or some magic trick he had no idea – but she was engrossed in the game and from his place he could faintly hear the game music.

"To sum it up, profits are surpassing the expenses of operation and establishment. And with the use of the Shadowkhan's transportation abilities, we have avoided the need to bring in outside help for transport or expanding in that area. For laundering the money we have acquired…" Valmont trailed off as Jade pumped a fist, the music indicating she had achieved something in the game. This was humiliating, Valmont thought, but at least it made it easy for him to swindle her.

Once he had taken enough off the bottom to establish himself somewhere else, the Atlantic sea board preferably, he would take care of Chan's brat. More accurately, he would point Chan to the brat and let two wrongs make a right while he road off into the sunset with untraceable loads of cash. The thought brought a rare sincere smile to his face; the Enforcers found the expression creepy.

"Hey, this is great. But, uh, when do we get to the real plan?" Ratso spoke up.

"Excuse me?" Queen Jade queried. Pausing her game she looked over to the broadest Enforcer, who found himself the center of everyone seated's attention.

"You know, the whole 'take over the world' thing. All you people seem to be gunning for that," Ratso explained. He let out an "ungh" as Finn and Chow elbowed him in the respective sides; they had been wondering the same thing, but had hoped if they ignored it, it wouldn't come up. If looks could kill, Valmont could add Ratso's murder to his lengthy list of felonies. Hak Foo had the least reaction; he could care less what sort of plans his employers had, and so long as it met his contract it was no matter to him. So he just turned a raised eyebrow to the Shadowkhan leader.

"Hmm, take over the world. No thanks, the paperwork alone would take up all my game time, not to mention it would probably mean hours of listening to stuff as boring as this," Queen Jade answered, gesturing to the sheets spread out before Valmont. He took some offense to her dismissive comment to sound business practices.

She clapped her hands and Right handed her a rolled up piece of paper. Grinning malevolently, she unrolled the paper and the humans present could have sworn the room darkened a bit as they leaned to get a better look at the paper. It turned out to be a map of the world.

"The prize I am aiming for is smaller and a bit more manageable. Gentleman, we are going to take over… Australia, the only continent that is also a country," Queen Jade declared grandly, tapping the red colored continent.

Silence reigned in the room for a moment.

"Kangaroos, huh? And koalas, I guess," Finn answered with forced enthusiasm.

"You know, I have always wanted to see the Outback," Ratso recalled thoughtfully.

"Canberra or bust," Chow announced.

"…" was the offer made by Hak Foo and Valmont. Jade's grin gave way to a scowl.

"THAT WAS A _JOKE_, YOU DOORKNOBS! I mean really, take over a country? Why not just put up a giant sign with big glowing letters, 'Here I am, please magic me into a mayonnaise jar for a thousand years'?" Jade growled. Once more they were silent, Valmont also uncomfortable and hoping the Enforcers would break her foul mood, or at least bring it down on themselves rather than him.

"So there is no plan?" Ratso ventured. Her scowl turned upside down at his words.

"Oh, I do have something of magical nature planned. While this is more or less the goal – wealth, power and all the things I want – I will need more power to keep it. Jackie is hunting me as we speak, and somehow or someway he will find me. Not to mention there are likely more like Wong out there who would like to control me for my army. So I need more magic to survive free," Jade stated.

"_Not if I have anything to do with it,_" Valmont thought.

"Say, what did you do with D-Wong anyway?" Finn inquired.

"Oh, he's in the closet," Jade answered offhandedly. While everyone else was puzzled by the statement Ratso nodded his head in apparent understanding.

"I figured as much, the dress was a big clue, but the long nails could have only so many meanings," Ratso commented. Jade blinked in confusion at the statement.

"What? No, I meant – never mind.

"Back on topic, you three are going to raid the vault for me," Jade informed them.

"Vault? As in the Section 13 vault?" Chow gulped.

"Correct, you'll tag team with some of my ninja to bypass Section 13 and whatever Uncle has set up. Once you're in the vault, grab the Horse and Dog talismans," Jade commanded.

"Wait, wouldn't it be better to retrieve all of the talismans? To say they are a potent asset would be an understatement," Valmont interjected.

Jade turned narrowed eyes on her number two by default.

"_All_ of the Talismans? What possible use could you have for the Tiger? That thing is useless; I'll never know why Shendu ever wanted it, unless it was so he could waste his inner wuss!" Jade ranted.

"Conceded, but the other eleven-" Valmont pressed.

"Two, Valmont, those two. The talismans draw trouble and I want to be ready before I call it down on myself, understood?" the Queen of the Shadowkhan decreed. Frowning he nodded assent as she dismissed them all.

_

* * *

_

Section 13:

Six figures in black made their way through the near deserted corridors of Section 13, three humans all in black and a trio of Shadowkhan in their normal spooky attire. Chow spoke up as he took down the latest hanging sutra and proceeded to tear it into confetti.

"Man the security here is weak!" he commented, letting the former spell fall to the ground in shreds.

"I know, you'd think they'd learn by now," Ratso commented, smiling as a Shadowkhan disabled a set of security cameras.

"It's the government, they're probably tied up in some committee. The Demon and Dark Wizards Defense Initiative!" Finn laughed at his own humor. His fellows joined in, ribbing on the organization that repeatedly thwarted their various employers, one of them aware of how accurate his little joke was regarding the agency's security situation.

The Shadowkhan observed the increasingly loud exchange in some confusion – the orders were to stealthily infiltrate and steal from this enemy base. The three humans were a part of the mission but were being increasingly unstealthy. No orders had been given on how to deal with this situation; looking to one another the three demon ninja reached an agreement on how best to rectify a deteriorating situation.

"Gah!" the enforcers cried out as the Shadowkhan smacked their heads in a surprise attack from behind. Turning to angrily, and warily, glare at the ninja they were answered only with the center Khan pointing onward, the point relatively clear.

So the two trios continued, the tag team routine including security guards quickly subdued by the Shadowkhan and subsequently hidden to avoid discovery in the near future. At last they came face to face with the sought after vault door. The Shadowkhan kept well back, the chi wizard having placed his most potent wards over this place, well beyond the Enforcers' ability to dispel. Finn walked up to the security panel with its alphabet code entry, and entered in B-O-N-D, and was a bit surprised when the door swung inward. The brat apparently knew what she was talking about.

"You're up pal," Finn gestured to Chow.

Chow gave a grin, the theme from "Mission Impossible" sounding in his head as he unstrapped the specialized gun from his back and planted it on the floor. With the pull of a lever, magnetic legs snapped down, locking it into place; he tried to shake it by way of testing, before leaning down to pull the trigger. The downside was it made noise that rang his ears, but the relevant security was already dealt with. The spike projectile buried itself in the ceiling, a cable already looped through the protruding base. Chow unclipped the returning end from the canon and Ratso secured it to the strap on the shortest Enforcer's back before grabbing the other end.

With a grunt Ratso hoisted his pal off the ground and Finn, with a push, sent him flying over the trigger sensitive floor to the Talisman case. Pulling a handle from his belt, Chow held its flat bottom out and struck it gently to the case with his momentum. It stuck and held him as inertia tried and failed to pull him back.

All business now, he withdrew what looked like a compact torch from the same pouch with his free hand and pressed down its trigger. Rewarded with a bright blue flame he set to work on the Plexiglas.

"You three!" a voice suddenly bellowed. Chow plummeted as Ratso lost his grip, halting mere centimeters from the floor as Finn and Ratso arrested his descent to Finn's cursing at his new rope burn. Hauled up to a less precarious position Chow peered around the Talisman case and was meet with a sight he had hoped to never encounter again.

"Shendu?" he asked, hoping he was wrong.

"You three actually made it this far? Fate truly is generous to fools," the petrified demon observed. Their panic receding, they took stock of the demon's predicament and relaxed. Not only was the demon a statue again but he was also behind bars.

"_They locked him up in spitting distance of the talismans that would free him? Man that's pretty sadistic for the "good guys",_" Chow thought. He would almost feel sorry for the demon if not for the long list of grievances.

"Well good to see ya Shendude, but we're kind of in the middle of something," Finn announced cheerily, giving Chow a significant look. Getting the message, Chow went back to work on the case thanking his lucky star he hadn't dropped the torch earlier.

"Wait, this could be a rare opportunity for all of us. Get the Talismans, free me, and I will make you kings among men," Shendu offered, eyes shining like dying suns.

"Uhh, pass," Ratso stated.

"Sorry Big S, you don't exactly have a good record on following through with those fancy promises. Big V's treasure turned to dust and you didn't cough up the dragon mojo for DW either. So thanks, but we'll stick with the new boss. Good luck with the career in decorating though," Finn answered.

"IMPUDENT FOOLS! WHEN I AM FREE AND HAVE REDUCED CHAN'S ACCURSED BROOD TO ASH I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND DEVOUR YOU PIECE BY PIECE!" the Demon Sorcerer roared. Placing the newly separated piece of Plexiglas inside the base, Chow started to stuff the Talismans in his tool bag, also abandoning the torch as room ran out.

At last he reached for the final talisman, only to find he was quite out of room with his bag overflowing. Finding himself divested of pockets he was struck by inspiration and pulled up his cloth hat securing the talisman under it. He felt exhilarated by the perfect heist as he tugged his cap back into place and released his grip on the sticky handle to let his weight carry him back out of the danger zone. While he remained unaware, his two companions' eyes bugged out as they saw the top most talisman slip out of the bag and fall to the floor before they could give any warning.

The world was torn asunder by the flashing of light and the blaring of alarms.

The onslaught on his senses sent Jackie Chan ramrod straight, almost crushing his foam coffee cup. Turning back from the exit phone booth, his mind cleared of its insomnia-induced fuzz, he took a moment before recognizing what this particularly intrusive alarm meant.

The vault; the Talismans were being stolen. Jackie Chan was off like a rabbit with a hellhound nipping its heels. The haste turned out to be unnecessary as he literally bumped into Ratso.

"Sorry," Jackie said reflexively as he stumbled back. Ratso, already having expected something bad, was the first to recognize what he bumped into.

"Chan!" he called out in a curse and warning. Knowing he stood less than no chance in a fair fight he went for a cheap shot, hoping to catch the superhuman (1) archaeologist flat-footed. His right hook would not win in this match on his best day; giving a 'Wah!" of recognition Jackie stopped back cleanly avoiding the punch. Eyes narrowing, he stepped forward as Ratso stumbled from the over enthused blow not connecting. Jackie's right knee struck out under the nonexistent guard sinking into the Enforcer's gut. Ratso bent over in reaction only to have an elbow plow into his left cheek sending him down for the count.

Chow and Finn stopped in their tracks as Ratso got taken down before they could even halt their own flight. When Chan stood up straight and fixed them with a simmering glare, they unashamedly gulped.

"Where is Jade?" he demanded, the Talismans forced to the back of his mind. Chow recovered, feeling the weight in his hand; they weren't just a pair of schmucks, he had a bag full of badass right here in his hand. Grinning, he yanked the bag open and pulled out a talisman, Rooster he noted.

"_Good enough,_" he thought, leaping up into the air.

"She doesn't want to be found," he taunted, pulling out another talisman.

"I'm open!" Finn called out. Jackie, whose attention had been on the levitating Enforcer, rushed to snatch the talisman Chow tossed out of the air, but fell short as Finn closed his fist over it.

"Time for you to face a beat down Chan!" Finn declared, feeling the talisman activate. Floating up into the air he grinned.

"Alright, levitation! Wait a minute," Finn cheered, only to grow pensive. He looked over to his also levitating pal, and looked down to see himself slumped on the floor.

"Ah man, astral projection!" he cried, zipping back into his body. Sitting bolt upright he saw a shoe fill his vision before he saw stars.

"Just try and pull that when I'm faster than you can think!" Chow declared. The last Enforcer dive-bombed from near the ceiling, hurtling towards Jackie as a blur. With a cry Jackie hit the deck; the criminal blurred overhead and with a ringing thud smacked spread-eagled into the wall.

"Freeze!" an agent called out as Section 13 security moved in from all around. Jackie gave a sigh of relief, only to have it taken away as three ninja sprang into being over the fallen Enforcers.

Jackie fell into his stance, backing up so at to keep all three in his sight while the agents raised their side arms. At some unseen signal the three ninjas threw smoke bombs to the ground, obscuring them from sight. In a matter of seconds it cleared to reveal all six intruders gone. Turning to the wall Jackie noted with grim satisfaction the Talisman bag was still there along with the three Finn and Chow dropped.

_

* * *

_

A Short Time Later:

Captain Black was not amused as he looked over the scene of his prized vault, violated this night by a team of ninjas and thieves. At least he had been able to effectively shut the demon up by brining the blast door down over the alcove. Kneeling down he picked up the Ox talisman from its chalk outline on the ground.

"And this makes eleven?" he queried.

"Yes, the Dog talisman is the only one missing," Jackie confirmed. He handed the bag over to Captain Black, relieved to be rid of the troublesome artifacts.

"Not so bad all things considered. Immortality and energy don't cause a lot of collateral damage," Black noted.

"Uncle thinks Wong sustained his life by stealing energy from people with his hand mouths. Since he sealed those he may need another way to keep old age from catching up with him," Jackie suggested.

"Well it could have been much worse, good work Jackie. Get some sleep, for now the Talismans will be under 24 hour direct surveillance till we get the vault ninja-proofed, and Jade-proof," the Section 13 chief assured him with a hand on his shoulder.

_

* * *

_

Shadow Hand HQ, Roughly Same Time:

"Simple orders, very simple even. My plan got you into the vault, and all you had to do was grab two talismans and get to the perimeter so the Shadowkhan could bring you back here.

"Simple like I said, SO WHERE WAS THE CONFUSION!" the Queen bellowed. She rose off her throne, her hair and cloak stirring in a ghost wind as he glared murder at the Enforcers.

"Ah well we thought-" Chow began, wilting under the menacing appearance of the girl.

"_Thinking_ is not in your job description, it is following orders that you are required to do," Valmont interrupted. The Englishman did not rise from his spot at the table but still affixed a refined glare on the three unfortunates.

Hak Foo could not help but sneer as he recalled what had happened. It had been shortly after the meeting where the brat had laid out her plan, which he would have had more respect for if it didn't rely on fools. On his way to the roof access to train on the open space, he had overheard Valmont's voice coming from the "stock room". Quite unusual, since the man rarely outfitted himself for any kind of fieldwork.

"When you reach the vault, retrieve as many talismans as you can," he had said. Hak Foo normally did not care enough to meddle in other's affairs, but this might concern him so he had eavesdropped.

"But she said to only grab the healing and immortality ones," Ratso had pointed out.

"And you shall turn those over to her as planned. However, I-we will hold onto any other talismans you acquire. The girl needn't know," Valmont had explained. Hak Foo had heard enough and resumed his passage.

Clearly Valmont was planning to bite the hand that fed him. It wasn't that Hak Foo could not appreciate the sentiment, but the philosophy of quid pro quo and contracts were the closest thing the mercenary had to honor. Still his agreement to Chan's girl did not technically cover this, so he would wait and see how she handled the viper in her bed.

"Hey now your majesty, calm down," Finn pleaded, taking a step back as Jade floated down and over the table towards them.

"Oh I am quite calm, why shouldn't I be? You three are the ones who shouldn't be calm," she answered, Left and Right keeping pace with her advance on the respective sides of the table.

"Oh come on, you should know better than anyone that all bets are off with Chan," Ratso protested. By way of emphasis, he gestured to his own rising shiner, which led Jade to look over his comrades and stop on Chow.

"Did you just drop the Talismans and run or something? You look fresh as a daisy," Jade demanded of the smallest Enforcer. Chow made to object to the strange accusation, Chan had gotten him good in the…? He realized that despite the beating he felt fine, only a cracked lens to show for his trouble; how was that possible, he wasn't just fine – he felt great!

That was, he felt great until he remembered the fact he was about to get beaten down by a little girl and her ninjas, which brought his mind back to a memory he had thought he had suppressed of the most humiliating day of his life. Spanking, never again! There had to be someway out of this; beg like a dog, he decided on his course of action. Before falling to his knees he pulled the black cloth off his head to emphasis his state of apology and was surprised when something slipped off his head in the act.

The dog talisman fell to the floor at Chow's feet, rolled forward as bit and fells over dog side up. His fellows looked down at the talisman first in surprise then glared at Chow with consternation at apparently being cut out. On the bright side the aspiring evil overlady looked more amused than vengeful at the moment.

"What do you know, you outsmarted yourself for a win," Jade chuckled. Snapping her fingers, Right leapt forward to pluck the talisman from the floor and deposited it in Jade's outstretched hand. Her eyes widened as the power coursed through her body.

"Wow, so this is the power that can make a dry crab apple like Uncle sizzle. I'd be tempted to hold onto to it if I didn't already have magic flowing through me," she mused, examining it in her left hand.

"I would have preferred getting the Horse too, but this is the one essential to my plan. Good job you three, even if by accident you pulled it off," Jade grinned at the Enforcers.

"Left," she spoke. The Shadowkhan with the red sash came to her side, his head inclined in deference.

"Please destroy this talisman," she commanded, holding the magic artifact out to him. As the Enforcers' jaws dropped and Valmont's eyes bugged out, Left took the talisman, slammed it onto the floor with one hand, drew a kunai from seemingly nowhere and brought the melee/throwing knife down with all the force he could muster.

A scratching sound of metal on stone made everyone in the room cringe. Left blinked as his weapon skidded over the talisman, not even seeming to scratch it. He proceeded to strike the object rapidly with shorter strikes with a series of high-pitched clinking noises ensuing. Jade frowned at his efforts.

"You might want to try something else," the Queen hissed exasperatedly. Straightening up, Left seemed to heed the command, stashing the kunai in his robe and drawing a katana sword in its place. Raising the blade over his head he brought the deadly edge down on the talisman. A loud ching sound accompanied the blade snapping on impact, the shard imbedding itself in the carpet. Left looked to the remains of the sword with narrowed eyes.

"This could take awhile," Jade stated.

_

* * *

_

A While Later:

Queen Jade was napping on her – fittingly – Queen-sized bed. It always took a lot out of her to summon that many Shadowkhan. The reason she only kept two around regularly was that it seemed her comfort zone for exerting her power. Anymore and it was like using a muscle. It wasn't like this last time, and she was sure it was somehow Torhu's fault.

So after eating a very rare steak – meat cravings had taken over her diet – she was on the mend. She supposed dark creatures were not known for being vegetarians. Also, the Enforcers almost messing up had compounded the backlash.

A knock at the door roused her from her thoughtless reclining.

"What?" she said loud enough to be heard through the door.

"Uhh, boss. You know those orders you gave to your guy in red? He seems to be taking them a little too far," Finn spoke through the door.

"Well let's see. He tried something like a sledgehammer on it till the hammer broke. Then he threw it off the building; since he brought it back, guess that didn't work. He boiled it in water over in the kitchen then tossed it in a bucket of ice water – not sure what he was going for there. After that, he started to get more… creative," Finn recounted. Jade was floating slightly in front of the Enforcer, Right keeping pace opposite Finn.

"Hmm?" Jade asked, her tone irritated and a bit curious.

"Well, he took a chainsaw to it," Finn admitted. Jade stopped and turned to look at him, her eyes narrowed as if searching him for a trick.

"A chainsaw?" she repeated.

"I know, there was a time when a ninja using a chainsaw would have been the strangest thing I've ever seen," Finn answered. Looking off to the side he fiddled with his trademark medallion, apparently reminiscing on the things he had seen stranger than a chainsaw swinging ninja.

"Where did he even get a chainsaw?" the Queen wondered.

"Where do they get anything?" Finn countered, still looking thoughtful. Jade did not take it as a question; shaking her head, she resumed her progress, only to raise an eyebrow as Finn passed her with a definite urgency in his steps.

"Anyway, things have been escalating since then, and I thought you should really..." Finn explained, letting the sentence trail off. Jade raised an eyebrow again at this, as Finn hastily opened up the door to the throne room, and her eyes shot wide open, looking like a pair of red fruits about to fall out.

"WAAH!" she exclaimed despite herself. The table in the room held a substantial pile of dynamite, and off to the side kneeled Left, preparing to press down an almost cliché detonator.

"Stop! Halt! Desist!" she shrieked, pulling on her spiky locks. Thankfully the ninja obeyed, his head snapping up to look at his irate mistress.

"What are you doing!" she shrieked. Not seeming to react to the tone, he gestured to the pile of dynamite, which he leapt to and plucked the Dog talisman from with within it.

"And bringing the building down, with me in it! Did it ever strike you as bad idea?" Queen Jade rasped, putting a hand to her temples. Not waiting for a response she knew wasn't coming, she drifted over to snatch the talisman out of his hand.

"I guess if you want something done right you do it yourself," she stated. Looking over the talisman as if it held the answer to her goal she was surprised as an idea came into her head. Could it work? And why had she even thought of it?

Shrugging, she decided to follow her impulse and popped the Dog talisman into her mouth. Ignoring the sounds of surprise from the Enforcers, she propped the piece of magic stone up on her sharpened molars and clamped it into place. Then came the part that made even her curious, she tightened her jaws against the stone. Just as she was about to dismiss her actions as some kind of crazy, an audible crack reached her ears and a ray of light lanced out of her open mouth.

Her first thought was, "I did it". The second thought as the light and crackling increased was recalling the explosive results of Jackie destroying the talismans. "Oh, bad day," was her third thought as the talisman exploded in magic.

Waving the blue smoke out of his face, Finn saw his boss was okay, floating where she had been, though seemingly a bit wobbly. Blue smoke was still spilling out of her mouth, and she had a vague happy look on his face that seemed familiar.

"Talisman magic tastes like strawberries," Queen Jade airily announced before her eyes fluttered close. Like a leaf she drifted down to the floor, grinning and possibly asleep.

Left stared at the scene, eyes wide at what he had just witnessed. He was actually surprised when a hand clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, I bet you loosened it up for her," Ratso assured the demon ninja.

Jade was up in the clouds amidst the gathering twilight. It took her a few moments of appreciatively taking in the beautiful sight before she realized that it was not right for her to be there. Looking down she realized her body was as wrong as her position; examining her hands, she seemed to be made of dark shadows, and saw that her legs were not present, her form dwindling into a ghost like tail below the waist. Somehow she knew the only color she still possessed was her red eyes.

Flying down as simply as she normally levitated, she stuck her head between the clouds and saw what she soon recognized as San Francisco.

"What's going on?" she wondered.

"Come," the wind whispered. Righting herself in the air, Jade glanced about the misty depths of the clouds for the source of the voice.

Just as she concluded that it was a trick of the wind, the world moved around her. There was no better way to describe it. She was certain she remained still but her cloud cover was ripped away and San Francisco slipped away to ocean, as she seemed to chase the sun over the Pacific.

She was surprised this did not freak her out more; maybe demons had a higher tolerance for impossibilities? At last the world stopped spinning beneath her and she found herself looking on a city. There was no doubt on what city it was, somehow she could feel its identity as her stomach turned at the sight; Hong Kong.

"Come!" the voice insisted. The whisper was now clear, loud, and demanding in its tone. The world turned again, but slower as it moved her into place. Moved her so as to see something that was impossible, Shendu's palace sitting beneath the sun in all its glory. It really was impressive; she had not really had time to appreciate it back then.

"Come!" it called again. The ground rushed up at her and instinctively she threw up her arms to shield her face, only for nothing to happen. Lifting an arm from over her eyes, she found herself in what she assumed to be the basement.

"Come!" it called again. She was moved through the corridors and darkness until at last she stood before a chest that was enshrouded in black smoke. Frowning, she reached out to brush the smoke as if testing water. At her touch, the chest flung open and a torrent of smoke washed over her.

"COME!" the voice bellowed. It was more forceful than a demon's roar, and the back of her eyes ached at the sound hitting her even as the smoke engulfed and blinded her. But she did not feel afraid; the Queen of the Shadowkhan was furious as her eyes light up as beacons of dread light in the darkness.

Her eyes snapped open then, and Jade was surprised to be looking up at the canopy of her bed. Rolling to her side she confirmed she was in her bedchamber, and there was Left even standing guard over her.

"A dream? No, definitely not," she mused. A joyful yip curtailed any contemplation as something small and full of enthusiasm landed on her chest and commenced licking her face.

_

* * *

_

Later:

"A dog? Your plan which you broke into Section 13 for was just so you could make your dog immortal?" Valmont yelled. He stood before the throne Jade occupied, where she was busy ignoring him, petting the apparently sleeping dog in her lap.

"Oh shut up, it's not like you had to do anything," Jade commented disinterestedly.

"What did you want with the Horse talisman for, a pony to complete this princess theme?" Valmont mocked. The Queen of the Shadowkhan lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes narrowed; her two bodyguards took a step forward at a barely audible growl.

"You are not in charge here Valmont, I am. You were reduced to nothing when I found you and I can put you right back there. I am not as thin-skinned as Shendu, but you will show me the respect due your superiors or suffer the consequences," she hissed, rising off her throne. Valmont refused to back down before the display, but he was no fool to throw everything away prematurely. Striking a half bow he gave her pause enough to speak.

"I apologize, that was out of line. Association with Shendu and his ilk has made me overly wary in dealing with those like your majesty," he stated with mock humility. If he were to glance up he might guess from her pouting frown she did not truly believe his display, but perhaps found it convenient too. Scruffy barked from where Jade had left him on her throne, and she lowered herself to scratch his ear, addressing Valmont indirectly.

"All you care about is money, I want what I want and money is only part of it. The Horse would have helped line our pockets enough that even you would stop whining. But that door is closed for now since that tag team trick won't work twice," Jade commented.

"Yes what you want. You seem to want a great deal but never quite specify what it is," Valmont observed.

"Well now you don't really need to know to do your job, do you? For now suffice it to say I not only want but need more power; and I think I know where to start now.

"I need you to book us a flight, the whole team. A homecoming seems to be in order before I burn my bridges," Jade declared, turning to face her capo. Her expression was gleeful at whatever coursed through her mind in that moment, her eyes and even her teeth seeming to acquire a luminescence he had not seen before. Scruffy whined softly, scooting away from his owner. For the first time Valmont felt truly afraid of this girl.

_

* * *

_

Gordon's Pub:

The pub was bustling as was normal for this time of night, but a booth in the corner remained vacant save for a bespectacled man reading the paper. It went unnoticed by most of the patrons as a brown bearded man with a mop top took a seat in the same booth.

"Been quite awhile since you worked the field like this, good to see. You never struck me as the type to do the job comfortably behind a desk," Specs commented, without looking up from his paper.

"You said you had the market premium," Whiskers stated.

"Blunt as ever; word has gone round and back again you people want the scoop on the Shadow Hand. Well I just may have your scoop," Specs answered evenly.

"People haven't been talking," Whiskers admitted.

"People always talk and they are quite willing to talk about the Shadow Hand. The underworld has a certain code of conduct, and these ninjas have been stirring things up. Bad for business when hot shots with more balls than brains blow into town, makes the wrong people nervous. The reason you've got nothing is other than Valmont no one talks to them or even sees anything but what comes off the news.

"But my ear to the ground tells an interesting tale. Valmont has commissioned Greasy Skeeve for a jet, top dollar with all the perks and papers. Rumor has it he actually did the deal with a little girl present. Rumors are strange things – they say this girl is the boss of the Shadow Hand, and she appears to be more than a little… inhuman."

"Blue with red eyes?"

"If you believe rumors. I have had my ears to the ground long enough to know that there is more to the world than high school science would tell you."

"What else?"

"Jet leaves for Hong Kong within 10 hours. Number of people including Valmont and the girl, more than four passengers less than ten. And that's all from that source," Specs concluded. As Whiskers got up he laid some dollars on the table as if leaving a tip. Specs put down his paper to cover the papers bearing President Cleveland's image, and raised a shot glass to Whisker's back.

_

* * *

_

Hong Kong, Seven Hours Later:

Even if you were looking you probably wouldn't notice the three figures standing against the Hong Kong skyline, apparently oblivious to the potential peril of their perch atop one of the towering structures. Two stood at attention – tall and proud sentries in black, their red eyes burning in the darkness – and the third sat between them, her legs dangling off the ledge, her body shrouded in a black cloak and her silver crown catching the light above her own ember eyes.

"I can see it from here. I didn't even realize how much my eyes had improved until now. My family's flat; by now my parents are probably sitting down to dinner… who am I kidding, they're probably at work or at some company event.

"I used to wonder why they even had a kid; all they care about is their careers and reputations. Looking back, I think I was an accident they decided to roll with, an heir to their petty life achievements and another trophy to tout.

"But I have never been anyone's presentable trophy. I hated being left to be raised by nannies and molded into a role I couldn't fit. I was the embarrassing problem child, at school or at home I defied expectations in only the wrong ways. No movie twist with some talent to make up for my eccentricities either.

"Still, I was upset when they passed me off to Jackie and Uncle. I had no idea they even existed before the school counselor told them I needed a more stimulating environment to express myself. So cue the relatives in America I never even heard of and dropped at an antique store only to discover they were equally clueless.

"Funny that passing the buck was the best thing they ever did for me. I always felt I was meant for something more than school, an office, and marriage. I do owe Jackie and the others some for inadvertently helping me reach my destiny," Jade reflected. With the last comment she looked up to the ninja with a smile, but her expression soon darkened.

"But that doesn't mean I will let them get in the way of my goals, much less reduce me back to a kid sidekick. Enough of the past, Valmont should be at the palace site by now, let's go," the Queen stated. Rising into the air, she floated back into the shadows with the two ninja, and vanished as if she had never been there in the first place.

_

* * *

_

1).

A reference to when Ratso stated, "There's no way he's human," regarding Jackie after aforesaid Chan ran up a falling train to safety.

**Author's Note**:

_Well the mask hunt is about to kick off and then the real fun starts! I have a lot planned that calls for more than just the masks and canon, after all nature abhors a vacuum and the side of good has a vacancy at the moment._

_**Please Review, the button beckons you!**_


	4. Turning

Disclaimer: _Well after much wrangling and haggling I am pleased to say- Wait what? Curses! It seems I still do not own Jackie Chan Adventures or any associated rights and properties. If I had there would have been more shadowkhan Jade, and maybe more screen time for cat Jade. I like the transformations, is good for plot/character development. Curse you status quo antebellum!_

**

* * *

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**Queen of All Oni**

_Concept Aided by Nocturne No Kitsune_

_Betaed by Zim'sMostLoyalServant_

CHAPTER FOUR

**Turning,**

_Or_

_Should have Seen That Coming_

_

* * *

_

Hong Kong

:

Jackie felt a small twinge of envy for the crowd moving past him. Normal people, with only the normal concerns in life. He would admit that like Jade he had desired a life more extraordinary in his childhood; perhaps it was only natural too. Ironically, (or was it poetic justice?) when a life of adventure was thrust onto him as an adult he wanted little more than to get it over with and back to a real life.

With the Talismans, his expertise as an archaeologist had drawn him in, and with his skills in the martial arts made him a viable operative in Section 13. He had never dreamed this madness would go beyond the Talismans, but each time they slammed the door shut on one ancient threat to the world another door seemed to pop open. Was he being punished for something in a past life; why was he forced into the role of hero when tenure at the museum had been the height of his ambition?

Well, tenure and a steady girlfriend.

But while he disliked it he was a mature man and apart from the rare internal rant knew accepting the circumstances was the best first step to finding the resolution. And sadly he had almost become used to the mortal peril to himself, and the world in general. Danger to his family though, had not been something he could resign himself to.

Jade, his niece who had been dropped into his life with neither of their consents and had somewhere along the line had become essential. She was nothing like him; even at that age he had never held so much unbridled energy, such utter disregard for rules and his own safety. He wanted out of this life of danger and magic while she was determined to live in this world for the rest of her life. And it wasn't like she was naïve; she had faced mortal danger and seen how high the stakes were.

Jackie actually wondered if he was in her spot sometimes. He couldn't imagine Jade having the patience to properly excavate a site without finding some evil cult or magical artifact. Sitting in a cubicle or office was equally unlikely. But working as one of Captain Black's agents taking down organized crime rings or terrorists, definitely – easily, even. It was actually disturbing, and he blamed himself for putting her on what seemed an inevitable road into society's shadows.

Shadows, yes that was what had been keeping him up. Worries for his own future and hers now were overwhelmed by what had happened to his irrepressible niece. The dark forces would strip her of any destiny but the one twisted to their designs, until she was something as malevolent and miserable as the Demon Sorcerers themselves.

So for now, and until she was restored, there would be no more doubts, no more pining for the life he had had. Jackie had risked his life to protect the world, but that was something so big that while terrifying in scope you could not quite grasp it. He didn't know what Wong was planning, and frankly he didn't care in the least. All that mattered was getting Jade back; she was his responsibility, this was one thing he would never even consider conceding.

Uncle gave Captain Black's agents some materials and instructions as they parted ways. There was a slim chance Jade's parents might get caught up in this, so the agents would do what they could to protect them anonymously. As for the rest of them, Hong Kong held one place that the dark forces would definitely have interest in. Tohru, Uncle and he were bound for the site where Shendu's palace once stood.

_

* * *

_

Ruins of Shendu's Palace:

Jade and her escorts arrived at the ruins amidst the shadows and trees. The Queen of the Shadowkhan frowned a bit at the sight; it actually looked like ruins, bits of wall and other clearly unnatural protrusions littering the landscape. Hmm, she could actually make out a rough lay out, something useful from Jackie attempt to teach her archaeology. Still, she distinctly recalled the palace crumbling into dust, so why the ruins?(1) If they were here before Shendu resurrected the palace surely some archaeologists would have descended on it decades ago. And if it was a new development, surely the locals would have noticed the change?

Magic, she nodded to herself. A demon sorcerer's palace would retain some magic if anyplace could. She recalled one of her favorite old fantasy books – it had a temple that could only be found by someone looking for it. Jade settled for that explanation and let the issue rest.

It was a short task to find her human minions meandering about the ruins. The Enforcers were trying to search the ruined littered field, hindered by the lack of concealing places to search. Valmont stood near the tallest remains of a wall, cane poised in front of him, looking like a manager or some such observing a very unsatisfactory operation. As for Hak Foo, he was perched atop the wall, feet together ramrod straight, apparently surveying the surroundings as she had been.

"Well, we're here again," Valmont observed dryly. Jade gave him a grin full of pointy teeth; she had known the Dark Hand had infiltrated Shendu's palace to steal the treasure, after all she stowed away using them as her ticket to the big showdown. But it was only recently she had been told how they had actually found Shendu's vaunted treasure, only for it to literally turn to dust in their hands. Talk about epic failure – apparently, Valmont had been so traumatized by the disintegrating swag Ratso had had to drag him out of the collapsing building.

So naturally the gangster was all sunshine and peaches for being back here. Well, he was more entertaining when he was mad.

"There is something here Valmont. Even if the palace collapsed it was because Shendu's magic was what raised it in the first place. But he was too sneaky to put all his stuff on display, and I bet my bottom dollar there was more magic here than him. And it's still here for the taking," Jade mused.

"If you say so, me I'm not seeing anything but Shendu's foundation," Chow stated. Jade's eyes narrowed recalling the vision… foundation. Hmm, just because the palace fell up here didn't mean Shendu's basement was gone. Her toothy grin made Valmont uneasy; the Enforcers mostly felt resigned that something freaky was going to happen tonight.

Without a word, Jade swept her arms up, her cloak flapping up and being pulled by a bitter wind as eight Shadowkhan grew out of the shadows. Crossing her arms over her chest the wind died down and the shinobi sprang into a semi circle in front of her.

"Find an entrance to the palace catacombs, and make it snappy," she commanded. The ninjas sprang away into the night, shadows flitting across the dark ruins. Jade smiled, certain that if such a thing existed they would find it. She had always known the Shadowkhan were diligent in their orders, but Left's near fiasco had made her revise that to obsessive. Speaking of which, her two chosen ninja had laid out a black cloth over a piece of wreckage nearby, just the right height for a seat.

Taking a seat, she grinned and wondered how she had ever lived before she had minions. Oh, that's right, the kid sidekick package. Nothing like trading up, she thought

The Queen had just begun to get bored waiting when the sound of stone crumbling reached her ears. Rising off her perch she floated towards the sound, her bodyguards and the Shadow Hand following her lead. The Shadowkhan she had sent out were standing in the ruins of what she guessed was a tower, around a hole that had not been there before. A hole with steps descending down into the darkness.

"Now that's more like it," she grinned. With a nod of her head she dismissed the ninja back into the shadows and made her way towards the stairs. She paused to idly regard the humans.

"Move it, time to pull your weight. Or perhaps I'm paying you too much?" Jade declared. The Enforcers hopped to it, pulling out their flashlights and descending hastily into the catacombs. Greedy and stupid – oddly enough she was finding the combination almost endearing in those three. Hak Foo followed them at a more sedate pace, apparently deeming illumination for the weak.

"Ladies first," Valmont offered, miming the holding of a door. Jade snorted in a most unladylike manner and floated down, Left and Right as ever following her flanks.

"Yuck, I didn't even realize it could get this dusty," Jade spat. She had not known what to expect to find in a demon's basement; perhaps vaults of magical mystery, the assorted remains of vanquished foes, or even hither to unseen mountains of gold. What she got was junk and heaping piles of dust.

"I think it used to be treasure, before you blew up Shendu," Finn commented. He picked up a pile of dust and watched it run out between his fingers under the light of his flashlight.

"Grrr, the chest could be buried under them, you three start digging. Hak Foo, search the place for a big ornamental chest with some gold trim. Like Indiana Jones' Ark, but Asian," Jade commanded. The Enforcers whined about the filthy task before them while Hak Foo simply gave a bare nod before vanishing into the shadows.

"This would be much easier if it wasn't so dark," Jade griped, crossing her arms.

A clacking sound drew her attention to her right, only to find Right missing. She practically spun in mid air to face the direction unoccupied by her guard. She noticed the sparks before a green flame illuminated the Shadowkhan, though it quickly faded to mundane orange, revealing a brazier built into the wall. With a series of "whompf" sounds, similar braziers ignited along the length of the wall, bathing the catacomb in their dancing light.

"Sweet," The Queen commented, giving Right a thumbs up.

Hak Foo returned with the ghost of a smirk. Jade made no attempt to conceal hers, guessing what it meant.

"You found it?" she asked. When he nodded she simply pointed back the way he had come, lead on, the gesture said.

Before long the Shadow Hand stood before the chest of her visions. It was much more impressive in person – it practically screamed, very important stuff inside. Jade floated up to the chest, running her hands on the glittering trim along the lid. She felt like it was her birthday and she had come to the biggest present in the lot. Time to unwrap.

Pushing with all her might, the lid moved slightly while she was pushed back in the air. Rats, why couldn't she get strength to match her awesome jaw muscles, she wondered. She glanced to Left and Right, who stepped up to her sides and each placed one hand on the lid, following her lead the three shadow beings pushed the lid halfway off the chest, no need go any further as her prize was revealed.

Jade now saw what she had been called to from across continents, a mask, a beautiful mask. She had always thought breathtaking was a term coined by some bimbo who got excited about the ice cream truck, but now she knew it was real. It looked like a demon but wasn't; she knew this instinctively, similar but quite different, and that difference was all-important somehow. The carving and painting were flawless – she could swear the eyes stared back at her and expected a roar to tear through the silence from those spread jaws. She noted the mane attached to the mask; it would cover rest of the wearer's head, completing the illusion.

Still taken aback, she noticed the marking on the mask's brow, and reached out running her fingertips over them. With touch came contact, and contact brought some useful new information.

* * *

Tohru looked warily over the moonlit ruins. Shendu's palace… he had not seen it in its resurrected glory, but he could almost swear that the demon's presence echoed here. Shendu had returned here then to wreak a terrible vengeance on the people who had overthrown and imprisoned him, by smiting all of Asia. And he had helped set Shendu free, allowing him the chance to slaughter countless people.

He had helped bring the Demon Sorcerer down, but that did not truly make up for his role in unleashing it. Valmont's betrayal of his loyalty had confirmed the doubts he had been having. When Valmont had brought Shendu's existence to his attention he had been apprehensive about the venture. Even now he shivered, recalling his mother's tales of the Oni. True, Shendu was Chinese, but still.

A willy ran up his back as the three of them made their way through the ruins. Jade was near, so were the Shadowkhan, his former coworkers, and Daolon Wong. When had he become accustomed to epic showdowns? Jade's influence maybe?

* * *

Chin resting on her fist, Jade looked at the mask she held in her free hand, deep in thought.

Alright, in review; the mask apparently had a monster inside it, or was it the monster transformed? Well, the whole ESP communication was rather confusing and the monster was not polite or keen on elaborating. In order to get at the power of the mask it had to be worn, by a human. What exactly happened she was unsure of, only that it related to Shadowkhan and by extension her.

Human… that limited her options. Hak Foo was out – it could eat his head for all she knew, and he was much more useful with his head. The Enforcers were likely the most expendable, but it would be like kicking a dog that happened to be a stupid loser. The remaining meat bag was probably less expendable, but he was definitely more annoying and thus easier to part with.

"Valmont, it is time you got what you deserved," the Queen smiled. She turned to regard her green clad Capo, who suddenly found himself alone as the Enforcers edged away from him. They had entered the room inspecting the piles, likely in the hopes some treasure had not crumbled into dust. She floated over the ajar chest as he stepped forward to face her.

"Really?" he responded evenly.

"Yep. This mask apparently is full of awesome and I want you to have it," Jade announced. "_And if it eats your head, well bad day for you,_" she thought.

"Charming, but I prefer to rely on my own abilities," Valmont evaded.

"Oh, we both know that isn't true. You never had trouble with using the Talismans. Besides, I demand you accept your pay, or my ninja will spank you," Jade soothingly insisted.

"Do it boss!" Chow shouted. No one deserved that punishment… well, maybe Shendu, but he was the king of jackassery.

"Thank you in the peanut gallery!" Jade laughed.

The confrontation was brought up short as ceiling audibly cracked. The Shadow Hand all turned their heads as the spreading spider web of cracks burst, letting wood stone and dirt rain down. It rained Jackie Chan as well, Jade realized belatedly.

Screaming, he managed to land on his feet, into the chest, on the edge of the lid – the lid Jade was partially floating over facing him. There was no time to react as the lid sprang up like the world's most ornate teeter totter, sending the mask flying out of her hands as it nailed her on her hanging jaw. With no visible pupils you could not see her eyes roll up into her head, when she was jolted upward with an audible crack as her teeth slammed together. Already unfocused, she fell to the ground in a heap.

Jackie cringed at the sight and sound.

"Sorry Jade," he apologized, as the Shadow Hand stared at him in disbelief.

"Chan!" Hak Foo roared as he leapt into the air, oblivious to the still deteriorating ceiling.

"Leopard pounces on dazed rab-!" he cried as the ceiling gave way. A startled Tohru came down on Hak in flight, flattening him to the ground.

"Falling elephant crushes pouncing leopard, argh," Hak groaned before passing out. Uncle leapt deftly down from the new skylight, landing in a crouch before smacking Tohru in the head.

"Stop falling! This is serious business!" the crotchety wizard scolded.

"It wasn't on purpose," Jackie objected. He subsequently gave out a "waah!" as shuriken flew towards him. Kicking the lid back up, it caught the streaking steel in his stead. Leaping from the cover, Right pursued him, sword in hand as Left knelt by Jade's side.

The Enforcers had their own problems as Tohru rose to tower over them. Chow was the lucky one as they scattered, seized by the scruff of his neck by the man mountain. Finn received a stomach and chin combo courtesy of Uncle as the old man stepped up to Chow.

"Where is Daolon Wong," the wizard demanded, his puffer held menacingly.

"Beats me, he's yesterday's news! Your girl's the one calling the shots!" he objected.

"That's right," Jade growled as Left placed her on her feet. She rubbed her chin and growled deep in her throat as ten Khan emerged from the shadows.

Finn, coming back to his senses, shifted on the ground and noticed the mask lying next to him.

"_Score,_" the Enforcer thought. Grabbing it as he stood up he noticed Valmont watching the proceedings partially concealed behind one of the piles.

"Big V, catch!" Finn called out. When Uncle had turned to the noise the mask was already in flight. The shopkeeper's eyes widened as he took in the carved face. Out of reflex more than anything, Valmont caught the mask.

"Put it on already!" Jade commanded, noting Hak Foo's subdued figure. Valmont made to object, but saw Uncle taking aim at him and realized his best bet for a healthy escape lay in the unknown. Getting it over with quickly, he slammed mask into place.

Uncle gasped and Tohru dropped Chow as the mask seemed to flow over Valmont's head, his own features seeming to rise and merge with the mask's. Jackie, preoccupied with using a statuette to block Right's sword, took somewhat less notice. Jade grinned, chalking up another one for her in her head.

Only for the metaphorical chalk to slip as Left was abruptly pulled back into the shadows. Her mouth fell open as her ninja vanished before her eyes.

"What?" Jackie asked, looking where his opponent had stood. All that was left behind was the katana he had knocked out of the Shadowkhan's hand.

Deep maniacal laughter drew everyone's attention to Valmont as he casually walked out into the open, hands tucked behind his back. He certainly cut an intimidating figure; his platinum blonde hair seemed whiter and his features truly befit a demon. Adding in the impeccable suit and he was like some old Communist propaganda cartoon.

Jade frowned at him, lifting herself up to his eye level as he approached her. Her expression darkened as he gave her a fanged grin.

"Loose something, brat?" he taunted his voice deepened by the mask. Whipping out his hands, he held out his arms as a multitude of Shadowkhan rose from the shadows.

"Bad day," Jade and Jackie commented in very different tones.

"Heh, well this calls for a change of plans. I was going to wait until I had stolen a fortune out from under your nose before betraying you to your family, and make good my escape while this feud played out and Chan put you in your place. But now I think I will simply take revenge across the board, starting with you," Valmont sneered.

Jade glowered at him before her expression fell as the Shadowkhan sprang towards her.

"_This would be amusingly ironic if it wasn't happening to me,_" Queen Jade thought. She dropped to the floor, making better progress running before springing into the air – with a combo of jump and levitation – out of the reach of her pursuers.

Valmont turned away from the amusing spectacle as Tohru roared. The sumo leapt into the air, descending with all of his great weight upon the masked Valmont. The giant grunted when instead of impacting the floor and a collapsing form he felt two stone pillars fling into his stomach, halting his descent.

"Aiiee-yaaahh!" Uncle cried at the sight before him – Valmont catching the far larger Tohru with his bare hands and holding him aloft.

"Role reversals quite the bitch, isn't it, traitor!" Valmont yelled as he pivoted, tossing Tohru into the air. Tohru could do nothing as he plummeted through the air and smashed into the chest.

Grinning in satisfaction at the sight he didn't even realize Uncle had fired a chi beam at him before it struck him squarely in the back.

Jade was reaching a very unpleasant conclusion in her attempts at evading the Shadowkhan, namely that she was running out of tricks. Making use of her above average agility, levitation, and small size, she had been evading them in the catacomb chamber. But they were faster than her and more numerous than any number she had been able to summon.

And that made her blood run hot. The mask had told her it had called her for the purpose of furthering the Shadowkhan destiny. As queen she was entitled to being part of that, not cut out by some washed up has been that needed a human to play host! Using her own ninja against her like this leaped over the line.

She skidded to a halt, cloak flapping about her. The trio of khan blocking the doorway shattered any hopes she had of making a break for it from the way she had come. She knew there were more behind her, but they were not the obstacle she needed to overcome. Showing bravery she wasn't quite feeling, she bared her teeth, contemplating if she could use jaws that cracked stone to fight.

It turned out she did not have to find out at the moment. She saw a blue and khaki blur in her peripheral, and then was yanked off her feet as Jackie grabbed her cloak. The archaeologist sidestepped and whirled around his first ninja assailant and knocked the next one aside with a blow to the face, courtesy of the ancient Chinese shield he had picked up earlier and wielded in his free hand.

* * *

Finn and Chow watched from behind the cover of a wrecked pillar as Valmont tried to rise only to be kicked in the face by Chan's old man.

"Ouch. Shouldn't we do something?" Chow asked Finn. The red haired Enforcer thoughtfully watched Tohru apparently sorting through the chest wreckage, Chan playing death tag with a load of Khan, and Hak Foo still out of it.

"I say we wait and side with whoever wins, or run away when no one's looking," Finn decided. Chow nodded, only to look around in sudden realization of something.

* * *

Jackie grimaced as the shield cracked under the force of the kick he had just caught on it. He fell onto his back to avoid a stream of shuriken from his vulnerable side, rolling and springing up as the Khan tried to descend on him.

"Above!" Jade shouted from under his arm. Jackie glanced up and cried out as she dodged to the side as a Shadowkhan fell from the ceiling, sword drawn. Sparks flew as the blade struck the stone tile.

"You really are bad at this without me!" Jade cried as she was hauled around like luggage.

"Sensei," Tohru called out as he fit the pieces of the lid together. Giving one last disapproving look at the downed Valmont, Uncle joined his apprentice.

All too soon Valmont was back on his knees, and giving a death glare to the old man and his former enforcer. But he had bigger fish to fry, so calling up four Khan to dispatch them he stumbled towards the black swarm pursuing Jackie.

The first fell as Uncle shot it over his shoulder with the fish. The next ninja in line found itself grabbing air before its arm was seized. He was off his feet and next thing he knew slamming into the ground. Earning him a final slap to the head as he broke part of the lid even more.

Tohru, still an apprentice, merely whirled with a non-inscribed fragment of the chest in hand, sending his two assailants flying.

"So what is ingredient?" Uncle asked irritated.

"Japanese steel," Tohru reported frowning.

"Aiyah! Were do we get Japanese steel in Hong Kong!" Uncle crowed.

Tohru glanced about in some desperation before his eyes landed on a katana resting nearby on the floor.

* * *

Jackie let out a sigh at the brief reprieve; for the moment he seemed to have lost the Shadowkhan. The sigh turned into a grunt as Jade commenced kicking and punching him as best she could under his arm.

"Put me down, I don't need you to fix this!" Jade hissed. Jackie reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the Horse talisman; closing his eyes for a second he prayed to whoever might be listening that this would work. Pressing the talisman into Jade's scalp he fake sneezed on it.

The talisman flared with its healing power and Jade stilled, slumping in his grip. Only for her red eyes to snap into view as she twisted in his grip, trying to get away.

"Of course its not that easy," Jackie moaned, trying to keep his grip on Jade. They both paused in their struggling at a thud sound behind him. Jackie turned and saw a Shadowkhan lying limp on the ground sword in hand, a stone settling on the ground beside it.

"Strike one!" Ratso yelled. The burliest Enforcer stood a few paces behind the Shadowkhan, another rock held in his left hand.

"You're helping?" Jackie asked as the universe threw him another curve ball.

"Yeah! These minion coups never work! I want to be on the winning side for once!" the Enforcer exclaimed, palming his remaining rock.

"Remind me to give you a raise later," Jade stated. Ratso grinned, before a blow to the head sent him down for the count. Valmont stood behind, fist still held out, and a squad of Shadowkhan at his back.

"Or not," Jade moaned. Valmont's grin was far more devilish with that mask, as his Shadowkhan walked past him, a variety of ninja weapons raised.

"You bastard! I was the only one to think you still might be worth something!" Jade cried as the noose tightened around them.

"If you wanted gratitude you should have stayed on the other side of the law," Valmont sneered. With the Shadowkhan surrounding the Chans he lifted his hand in preparation for the chopping motion that would set off the final attack… only to blink as a shadow fell over him. Turning, his vision was filled with a glowing hand descending on him.

With a cry, he grabbed Tohru's arm, but not before it clamped down over his head like a vice. Getting a second grip, Valmont started to lift the sumo off the ground only to cry out as another glowing hand closed about his forearm, his enhanced strength giving no protection to the grip closing about that arm. Tohru's feet came back down with a thud as the arm he captured released him. With a horrid squelching sound his arm shot up, the mask held aloft in the brilliant green light of his hand. Jade gave an impressed whistle at the sight, before her eyes narrowed at the apprentice wizard.

Valmont pressed a hand to his cheek, a look of confusion on his fully human face. Partially righting himself, he turned likely by some instinct, catching sight of Tohru. The mountain of a man held the mask in his hands covered in the fading glow, and fixed his former employer with a look of disgust. Thinking quickly, Valmont made to say something to avoid the impending wrath. But Tohru's hand was faster than his wit, a right arm blow sending the gangster flying. Landing in a dune of dust he was spared further injury but came up desperately spitting out the substance.

Jackie sighed in relief at the apparent end of the crisis. Tohru's glowing hands were a new wrinkle but they were able to pull off the mask so that was good enough for him. Uncle had the conscious Enforcers against a wall, fish held menacingly while Hak Foo was sprawled on the floor, taken out at some point.

"Tohru, how did you do that?" Jackie asked, holding Jade at arm's length as she renewed her kicking and scratching. It was a very good thing she did not have the kind of strength Valmont had shown.

"Oh, when Valmont threw me I landed on the chest the mask was in. The lid told me what the mask was and how to remove it. Apparently Shendu couldn't open the chest, so the instructions left by the sages who made it were still – WHERE IS JADE!" Tohru yelled. Glancing to the side Jackie gave a "waah!" upon seeing that he was only holding Jade's cloak.

"Yoink," Jade snipped as she leapt up, snatching the mask from Tohru's grasp. The wizard apprentice whirled, trying to grab the blue girl, but she was as agile as ever while his size worked against him. Falling to the ground in his haste Jackie leapt over him after Jade. Uncle cried out and advanced, turning his back on the Enforcers, who let out a collective sigh of relief.

Finding herself being cut off by her two relatives, Jade leapt up into the air and continued up, floating into a corner against the ceiling with the mask held firmly to her chest.

Jackie was saying something to her from below but she couldn't hear him; the mask's mockery and the pounding of her own blood filled her head to capacity. It was not ending like this – taken down by Valmont of all loser villains and a demon that had needed her help to get out of Shendu's storage closet!

"_Give it up girl, you do not have a chance against a wizard who was able to undo my proxy… granted, he was weak. A pity you didn't use that flame haired warrior_," the mask sneered in her head.

"_Shut up, I am not just some girl!_" Jade fumed in her head.

"_But you are, you stumbled over power as an idiot does over a stone. Though you are even less deserving,_" it laughed.

She couldn't stand this thing, mocking her inevitable downfall, its own defeat apparently forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the witless pretender meet her reward. Of course it wouldn't be the sealing or extermination the mask envisioned… no, she would just be back to kid sidekick spending every effort to get acknowledged for her achievements and talents. Only to be dismissed with a metaphorical pat on the head to go back to her proper place as a mere child.

No! Not happening, she was not one of those evil overlords just to sit back and do nothing while it all crumbled, she had learned there was always an out, some ace in her time with Jackie. Being on a different side wouldn't change a basic principal.

The mask… it or the monster was what caused her to lose her ninja. That was the problem, so the solution was there too.

"_You mean my shinobi. And a half-breed like you can't borrow my power like even a lowly mortal could hope to,_" the monster mocked. But, she felt it was hesitant, only slightly but she caught that something was being held back.

With strength born of desperation, her own chi and mind forced into the wood, stunning the demon at the unexpected assault. It rallied and expelled her back to her own head, but it didn't matter; she had what she needed.

Jade flung herself from the corner as a green beam struck the spot she had just occupied. She hit the floor, skidding nearly a meter, her passage kicking up dust. She glanced up and saw Jackie's face filled with concern she knew to be false, and gave him a vicious grin that made him step back. All she needed.

"_It won't work! This is foolishness, my power will destroy you! YAAAGGGGH!_" the mask cried.

The monster knew what she intended, and could only scream impotent defiance as she shoved as much of the mask's brow into her mouth as possible before bringing her freaky jaws clamping down on the wood.

It whimpered as black chi leaked through the cracks. Splintering wood let her teeth crash together in a clang as the mask vanished into a cloud of midnight mist. It swirled about her head, red dots flicking into being (reminding her of their eyes), before the whole cloud forced its way down her throat.

She stumbled forward a step, gasping for breath as air made its way to her lungs once more. He hair hid her face; her circlet caught the torchlight amidst her dark locks. All Jackie could see of her face in that position was one of her eyes opening, red as the last ember of a dying fire.

It wasn't a word or gesture this time, just a rattling hiss that spoke of a throat much abused this night. At the sound though Left and Right rose from her shadow as a dozen of their comrades came forth.

"No fix for you. These are mine and no one is taking them from me, especially you," Jade croaked. Jackie gulped at the heaviness in the room, but still felt her anger was not directed at him. He settled into a stance, just like that – they were back in trouble.

The tense silence was broken by the distressed sounds of Jade's stomach. Cheeks puffing out, a hand flew to her mouth as she swayed.

"Oi! This, gah! Fine you win this time! But keep chasing me and pay. I have my own destiny – I will be Queen of All Oni!" she cried. Tohru's eyes widened as his arms fell to his sides, mouth dangling open at a most unwelcome revelation.

Clearly distressed, Jade frantically gestured around the room. Apparently her ninja understood, dragging the Shadow Hand – even Valmont – into the darkness before her two bodyguards took her shoulders and vanished.

_

* * *

_

Private Airfield, Somewhere in Hong Kong

:

Valmont kneeled before the door, a forced gesture of respect to the girl behind it. Forced by Left, who stood behind him, bruising his shoulders with a vice grip that had forced him to his knees and now kept him there. He could see Right standing off to the side, his hand resting on the hilt of the katana he was wearing at his waist. Valmont knew that at a word from the girl that blade would be drawn to take his head, but he hardly feared that possibility.

"Valmont, I've been good to you, haven't I? I plucked you out of the gutter where you were nothing but a spent force, last weeks news. I gave you station in the underworld again, a position of respect and a slice of my pie. And yet, you insist- BLARGH!" Jade wheezed, before she was cut off by another fit of hacking. Valmont kept from grinning at he looked at the washroom door; apparently eating evil gave you a nasty case of food poisoning. As the hacking gave way to spitting Jade resumed her monologue.

"I mean really? Does that double cross ever work? Look at you now; I know you were going to betray me and I got a lot of the money you took back now. You're nothing again, Valmont!" Jade shrieked. Hearing the sound of gas released he could imagine her scrambling, wrinkling his nose at the sound.

"Ugh, man! Okay, forget the evil speech, just get rid of him like I told you!" Jade cried, gastronomically distressed. Valmont squawked in protest as Left released his grip only to rip his suit off his back, as Right stepped up to assist.

* * *

_Uncle's Rare Finds, Next Day:_

Grumpier than usual from jet lag, Uncle picked up the ringing phone.

"Uncle's Rare Finds, ancient wonders at your finger tips for a reasonable price," he answered with obviously forced cheerfulness.

"This is Black, good news for once. Valmont's been collared by the Hong Kong police, turned up naked in a plaza filled with tourists. Seems Jade fired him and he sang in exchange for a deal. Tohru was right, Chi Wizard is out and Jade is the one calling the shots, and he told us where they are," Captain Black announced. Uncle was sharp as a razor as he bolted upright.

"Where?" he demanded, his voice calm but an unspoken threat implied if he didn't get an answer immediately.

"She's holed-up in the old Dark Hand hideout, we're scrambling a team of agents now. We'll need you three and all the chi you can pack," Captain Black announced. Uncle could swear the young fool was grinning on the other end on the line.

"Just don't get in Uncle's way," the chi wizard stated, hanging up.

"Jackie! Tohru!" he called.

_

* * *

_

Shadow Hand HQ:

"Rats," Captain Black cursed as he walked through the kicked in door. The place was stripped. Judging by the floor they had even taken time to pack rugs. This had been inhabited very recently; maybe hours ago it had been Jade's headquarters. Now it was empty, like their hopes of ending this before the world was placed in some kind of peril.

He noticed a piece of paper sitting on the floor, folded up. Plucking the paper he unfolded it and found a message left for them.

MISSED ME.

-JADE, QUEEN OF ALL ONI

He could feel the old man's gaze boring into his back, not surprising or unwarranted; he should have pressured the Hong Kong authorities into getting Valmont to talk sooner.

"Fan out, if they left any clues I want them found," he ordered. His agents silently moved in, but without much enthusiasm – these were combat operatives, after all, not investigators; he would have the specialists here soon enough. Jackie's Uncle also entered, looking crankier than ever. Maybe he could magic up some kind of clue; Black would take it.

"Do you think they will find anything?" Jackie asked, coming up beside Black.

"Hopefully. Jade is good; I've known that since she raided the vault during the whole Horse incident. But she overlooked the cameras then, and she is still a rookie. A talented and powerful rookie, but a rookie all the same. Letting Valmont fall into police hands was childish and forced her to get out of here," Captain Black pointed out. Jackie did not seem eased by the interpretation.

"Unless she wanted us to find this place," Jackie pointed out.

_

* * *

_

On the Road:

The semi truck's engine was loud in her ears and she would be bouncing in her seat if not for her seat belt. All in all, Jade found it impossible to sleep now that the mask's chi had finally been subdued by her own. The voice was gone now; all that was left was its power, and some nifty new knowledge waiting to be picked through in the back of her head.

"It was a mistake doing that to Valmont, I know; a fun mistake, but still. Come on, I was having evil food poisoning! I think that waives me of an evil overlord blunder," Jade griped to Ratso, who just nodded, keeping his eyes on the road.

"But still we got away clean! This is what makes me the better villain; I realize a mistake and react accordingly. I am better than Valmont, Shendu, and… and… " her expression fell with each "and".

"GAH!" Jade cried, pulling on her bangs.

"_Just keep driving and don't say anything,_" Ratso thought to himself as the boss lost it.

_

* * *

_

Former Shadow Hand HQ:

Uncle raised an eyebrow at the door before him. This room had been stripped down like the others, but it still held a metal folding chair. Which was jammed under the knob of the door he now considered. Unjamming the chair with one hand, he casually opened the door with the other.

The closet beyond was littered with Chinese take out boxes, and a small bruised figure in filthy prison oranges. Daolon Wong casually lifted his head to meet Uncle's stern eyes with his own unamused mismatched gaze.

"For once, I am glad to see you," the fallen wizard remarked flatly.

_**

* * *

**_

(1).

_In the Season 1 finale Shendu's palace disintegrated. But in "Masks of the Shadowkhan" the palace was a very impressive ruin. I am erring towards the original as the creators violate their own canon._

**Author's Note:**

_Hmm this chapter came out shorter than others. Still that was the best cut off point._

_Sorry to JoD readers for falling so far behind. I actually was working on that when I hit a wall. Instead of sitting in front of the wall I decided to work on this project hoping it would clear things up over there. Well backto work on that . . . _

**OMAKE:**

Our devilishly handsome writer sits in his study typing away on a story that is not months over due only to be blindsided by the dread demon of patience exhausted readers. Removing my Bengal tiger picture from the wall he throws me into a portal sending me to the end of the earth as Punishment.

Landing in a field I dust myself off and make sure my trusty hat is alright. Alas I am surrounded on all sides by corn. Corn stretching far as the eye can see!

I put a hand to my folder knife as the corn rustles. It parts to reveal a stereotypical Yankee farmer.

"Howdie fella, welcome to NEBRASKA!" he lets the hammer fall.

"NEINNNNN!" I cry falling to my knees.

_More shenanigans to come._

**"Please review, you know you want too."**


	5. Serpents & Samurai

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures, it belongs to its respective owners. I do claim a certain artistic stake in the plot of this story and any OCs I may use, but that probably would be laughed right out of court since I am not rich enough to bend laws to my will like Disney or something.

**

* * *

**

**Queen of All Oni:**

_Concept Aided by Nocturne No Kitsune_

_Betaed by Zim'sMostLoyalServant_

**Chapter 5:**

**Serpents and Samurais**

_Or How I learned to Hate Onions and the Dangers of Hair_

* * *

The room was barren and sterile. Beneath a single bright overhead lamp sat a simple square wooden table and two armless wood chairs at opposite ends. The walls and ceiling were concrete broken only by a very sturdy looking door and a two-way mirror set into the wall letting those outside observe the room's lone occupant, sitting and waiting in the chair farthest from the door.

Daolon Wong was looking better. He still looked bad, his skin sagging with newfound age and the borders of his tattoos runny; even his hairline seemed to have receded. But with a fresh set of prison clothes, a solid meal and a shower he seemed ready to do… well something.

The overhead light casting him in an unflattering color, his eyes were closed and hands clasped on the table as if deep in thought. Though more truthfully, if not for his clear and steady breathing he might have already been able to pass for a corpse. Though people rarely bother to handcuff corpses, after what the wizard achieved despite being supposedly depowered Captain Black had decided caution was the wiser course for this session.

The sensing of a familiar presence brought a smile to Wong's face, opening his eyes as the door swung inward, admitting his next interrogator. Uncle closed the door behind him, and looked over the fallen wizard with a critical gaze. Daolon Wong met the chi wizard's gaze with an amused twinkle in his mismatched eyes. Seemingly unflustered, Uncle took the seat across from Wong.

"What did you do?" Uncle demanded. There was no exclamation or even accusation, the question was merely asked without tone or hints of his own thoughts.

"I am not quite sure. It would seem I created a new kind of potion with the relatively new compounds available in this era. Using it in a summoning, the spell transformed your niece to create the very thing I was trying to summon, without fully understanding what I was trying to summon," Wong admitted with a shrug.

"You will tell me what you used," Uncle stated.

"Certainly, but Captain Black tells me she actually took the essence of an Oni General into herself. That takes her beyond my accidental magic. Any antidote you concoct from my ill-fated soup may be too little far too late," Wong grinned.

"Uncle will take that chance. What is Jade planning?" Uncle demanded.

"She wants it," Wong answered.

"What?" Uncle demanded, now letting irritation color his words.

"All of it. Not the world, but she is still a child, wanting the things she desires and resenting anything that keeps her from them.

"In particular she wants the things you denied her. I expected her to resent her family – we all do on this side. But my, oh my, does she have a mad on for you three," the dark wizard chuckled, cupping his bound hands.

"What?" Uncle dumbly answered. The wizard grinned like a shark about to bite before saying his piece.

"She talked to me, quite a bit. After she learned I was no use to her I became a hole for her to yell into, because I was irrelevant. She resents her parents for choosing business and appearances over her every time, not to mention for passing her off to you like an unwanted pet.

"But you had more to offer and she thinks you cheated her. Your ever-meddlesome nephew, despite her repeated assistance, taught her only the rudimentary levels of martial arts, and even those had a price tag on them. You would not believe the whining on her being held back despite 'saving all your asses'.

"As for you, magic is an obsession for her. Judging by the potency of her failures, she has more than a little talent. Were you truly afraid of cultivating it? Did the nature of her failures – duplication, forever sleep, and engorgement – show a trend towards power rather than the control your kind crave?

"She actually commanded me to teach her dark chi spells, even offered to make me a minion on level with that green suited fool. I told her the truth; chi magic is the realm of humans, that door was barred against her the moment she accepted an inhuman role. It was for that that she had her bound ones beat me.

"Your apprentice though, she wants him the most. The fact that a former enemy, an outsider of the family, received more of a role than her maddens her. You chose him over her and not for a moment does she forget that 'usurpation'. He was also the one to depower her last time she assumed the mantle of dark royalty.

"She may be content to let you two live; her obsession is one upping you two at your respective games as it were. She is still a child and wants to prove she was right all along by doing what myself and Shendu failed to do by defeating you. I doubt she has even thought of what she will do after such a victory.

"But once she feels strong enough, she will come for your apprentice. And she described he intentions there all too thoroughly. Would you like the details?" Wong's grin widened as he delivered the dark tidings.

Uncle rose to go and Wong smiled at his back, relaxing in his chair as if he were not a doomed prisoner.

"You loose, wizard. You don't have what it takes to go all out against her and she is too young and potent to be sealed with anything less. And even if you succeed, it will never be as it was. I die content knowing that I have tainted your future," Wong cackled. Outside, Uncle glanced over his shoulder where Jackie, Captain Black and an agent with bushy sideburns watched the fallen wizard revel in his 'triumph.'

* * *

Jackie and Uncle returned to the shop in silence. Jackie regretted listening in on the interrogation; to say the revelations given by Wong were disturbing would be an understatement. He thought it would be best to keep the whole truth from Tohru, assuming the fallen wizard was being truthful. Uncle had no doubts as to the truth of Daolon Wong's words; it confirmed and defined the theories that had been flying through his head since the Enforcers claimed Wong was not in control.

But while the dark chi wizard was not lying, there was something he was holding back. Uncle knew that – the crafty wizard had some final card up his sleeve he was waiting to play. It would come out in time, as Wong's demise drew nearer, but Uncle did not have the time to wait.

"Tohru, bring Uncle his tea!" the wizard shouted as he entered his shop. Tohru was not at the reception desk, which made Uncle frown as he stalked into the kitchen, Jackie in tow.

"Guess manners weren't invented when you were young?" Viper asked, as the two walked in on her and Tohru sitting and having tea. Both Chans did a double take at the master thief sitting in their kitchen in her casual attire, enjoying a cup of tea of all things.

"How did you get here?" Jackie demanded, shocked at this bolt from the blue.

"I came in through the front door; the big guy was a gentleman and offered me tea while we talked. You really are up the creek without a paddle this time Jackie," Viper commented as Tohru cast an embarrassed look at his angry sensei.

"Why have you come here thief?" Uncle demanded pointing an accusing finger at her.

"I'm here about Jade obviously," Viper answered, finishing off her tea.

"How do you know about that?" Jackie asked, calming down as he took a seat.

"Well, your family seems to attract trouble, so a new big crime syndicate in San Francisco was likely to see you involved at some point. Throw in ninja, rumors of magic, and a little girl running the operation… well; it just seems like the sort of thing you lot deal with. As for Jade being the Shadow Hand boss, I just checked the school records; here it says she went back to Hong Kong, while Hong Kong thinks she's still here.

"So I came here for some answers, Tohru told me what he knows, and we waited for you to get back and know more still," Viper explained casually.

"Why are you interested?" Uncle demanded. Viper narrowed her eyes at the accusatory tone and Jackie sighed as Uncle once more sparked a needless confrontation.

"Jade is in trouble, I'm here to help you. And face it, you need my help," Viper stated.

"Feh," Uncle dismissed her with a wave. Tohru rose from his seat, pouring Jackie a cup of tea.

"Sensei, Viper is right. Jade is not some ancient evil; she is dealing in the underworld of this age. Viper can give us insight beyond Section 13 and…" Tohru trailed off.

"And what?" Uncle demanded of his apprentice.

"I think with Jade gone we may not have balance on our side. With the talismans, and every challenge since she has been essential in the fight against the dark forces. As an ally and former enemy I think I can see clearer than either of you just what she does.

"It's not just that we've lost Jade, but all that ability is against us now. Viper is no replacement, but I think she can balance our team to where we actually stand a chance," Tohru spoke quickly; clearly he had rehearsed this.

"Team? Tohru you sound like Jade," Jackie sighed. He had always wondered if the J in J-Team stood for Jackie or Jade – she did place him on a pedestal a lot.

"I hate to break it to ya Jackie, but you have moves that would make Batman green with envy and you travel the world fighting evil. You people are pretty much a set of spandex suits away from a comic book. And thinking like Jade thinks is something you should try if you want to catch her. Tohru's right, she's too experienced to make the same mistakes the others did, she saw them fall apart in person after all," Viper added.

"Enough! We cannot accept help from a thief, please leave," Uncle stated, pointing a menacing finger at Viper bfore turning it to the door. She eyed the finger warily; she was fairly sure he needed that puffer and lizard to do anything, but magic wasn't her forte.

"Uncle, maybe we-" Jackie began before he was cut off by a smack to the head.

"Jade is influenced by dark forces. Her admiration for thieves and the like no doubt made her more susceptible to such things. We will defeat the forces of darkness with good magic as it should be, not with the help of lesser evil," Uncle declared with finality.

"Sensei, please," Tohru pleaded, before Viper got up from her chair.

"Save your breath Tohru, I won't impose where I'm not wanted. But remember, I'm not your student or your family; all you can do is throw me out. I'm going to do what I can for Jade with or without your help. Thanks for the tea," Viper stated. Without further words exchanged, she walked past Uncle and they heard her leave through the front door. The wizard looked to his student and nephew, reading their expressions.

"You think Uncle is too harsh? Uncle is harsh – we must be thorough. No weakness can be tolerated; we are not simply trying to vanquish evil, we seek to redeem one lost in darkness, and light is the only thing for that," Uncle whispered audibly, closing his eyes.

Tohru was the one to break the awkward silence, finally handing Uncle a cup of tea.

"Sensei, I have been doing research, but there isn't enough here on Japan. If we are to uncover more about the eight remaining masks I think we must go to Japan. Tokyo or Kyoto would be the best places to start; the museums and shrines may possess texts on the Shadowkhan, perhaps even the masks themselves," Tohru explained.

In short order they decided on their course. They would travel to Japan and use Captain Black's influence to investigate the shadowkhan.

* * *

_Meanwhile:_

Mr. Richards looked over the man signing the papers once again as if hoping his attire would start to make sense. He could understand the very fake German accent – he himself had long nursed a fake English accent he claimed to have acquired at Oxford to impress people. But his purple and green attire was atrocious; the man looked like an old tasteless pimp.

The two were seated in the majestic but musky parlor of a mansion. It had clearly been affluent once, but looked as if no one had redecorated I decades and only bothered to clean it every few years, despite Richards best and cheapest efforts . If not for the sunlight pouring in through the high windows the hunting trophies and portraits of the long dead may have been creepy. Okay Richards knew from experience in the dark this place was super creepy and more, but thankfully this guy seemed blissfully ignorant of that fact.

"I am so glad you came along Herr Droselmeyer, the rumors of Windsor Mansion being haunted have scared away the cream clientele. I was thinking I would have to sell it for less than market value to some fool that wants to turn it into a tourist trap," Richards commented to the sap. Of course the rumors were not the least bit inaccurate; certain days of the year the place was undoubtedly haunted. His grandfather bought the place for that purpose and his father – fool that he was – had never been willing to give it up for a bad investment. The son was not the father though; he recognized dead weight, and once he inherited it he had fixed it up for the sole purpose of unloading it on some other sap. And he pegged this tasteless man with the fake beard as just the right kind of sucker.

"Oh vhe ghost will be no vroblem. In vact, I am wery experienced vith such thing," the man said in his fake accent.

"So you will be giving me the check?" Richards asked.

"Nein, all in cash," the strange man said as he plopped a suitcase on the table and opened it. Richards' eyes bugged out at the money.

"Herr Droselemeyer, enjoy your new mansion," Mr. Richards shook the man's gloved hand.

As Richards beat a hasty retreat to his car, fearing his golden sale would somehow unravel, Finn pulled down his fake beard and got out his cell phone.

"Spooky, elegant, out of the way, and fit for royalty; all the checks on the list for a new lair. Boss is sure to give me a raise for this score," the Enforcer gloated as he dialed the number.

* * *

"Well, get back here then, I have some stuff cooking," Jade told Finn as she turned off the cell phone. She was seated on a bed in the motel the Shadow Hand members were currently staying at; alone save for Left and Scruffy. One was curled up on the bed with her and the other stood by the door. Right was supposed to be minding the Enforcers, making sure they didn't do anything stupid.

"No more putting it off I guess," she said to Scruffy, who was sitting next to her on the bed, worrying one of the rib bones left from her lunch. Jade folded her legs and assumed the lotus position; time to put the knowledge she ingested to good use. Since she had promoted herself to Shadowkhan General of the Shinobi, she should be able to sense the other masks, and through meditation locate them.

However, SHE HATED MEDITATION!

Of all the things Jackie had tried to teach her, sitting around and doing nothing was her least favorite. She had never been one for enlightenment – if she had to choose, she would ditch boring Buddha for something more exciting. Stuff was achieved by doing, not by sitting around doing nothing; it was a huge waste of time as far as she was concerned.

However, doing this she could apparently locate the masks without having the Box or something to point the way. Opening her eyes with a sigh she was surprised to be back in the cloudbank colored by twilight.

"That was quick," Jade commented. Lifting her arm for inspection, she confirmed she was a shadow again. Apparently this was her astral form now, a badass trade-up from just a ghostly version of herself, she decided. Now, to just locate the mask, she thought.

_20 minutes later:_

Jade was floating upside down in the cloudbank, her ghostly tail twitching in annoyance. She couldn't even be certain she was upside down anymore, the clouds all looked the same regardless of what direction she went. One of her ember eyes kept twitching and finally she lost it.

"Activate already! Come on astral world, get the lead out! Show me the power!" Queen Jade commanded. She wasn't even answered by an echo, though her cry _was_ heard with amusement.

Crossing her arms, Jade huffed, glaring murder at the clouds, and wondering why this couldn't be easy. She didn't realize she wasn't alone anymore as the clouds parted behind her. The Queen of the Shadowkhan had just started to get the feeling of being watched when she was suddenly propelled forward like a bullet.

"Yahhhh!" She screamed as her body stretched under the force, her shadow hair straight back and her eyes closed against the wind. Jade was cutting through the clouds like an arrow now, and starting to resemble one. Her arms were pressed against her sides, growing longer and thinner along with her torso, which had lost near all shape as her shadowy body became a trail behind her head. Finally, her wispy arms melted into the narrow torso seamlessly, leaving only her head untouched. She broke from the cloudbank and skirted over first an ocean, then mountains, and cities – and was that a dragon? – before she came to a stop. It wasn't a nice stop; it was like someone stepped on her new tail, and she stopped just before recoiling violently; her head would have smacked into the ground if she had been anywhere near it. She was in a city, distorted by the ether fog that seemed to pervade this world; though other than that it was only distinguished from the material world by the lack of any movement.

"What the hell was that?" Jade demanded angrily, coiling about, searching for someone to strangle. Well, as soon as she had hands, she conceded, looking over her narrowed down form. Her eyes widened as she looked for and failed to find her arms; she couldn't feel anything when her mind commanded her fingers to twitch. Lowering her head, she tried to will her body into compressing back into the black ghost form she had before, but all she did was slide through the air. Growling, she snapped her form like whip and was rewarded with a sharp cracking sound she had not expected.

A quiet whisper of steel sliding over steel in a rhythmic chant interrupted her attempts to compress. It was beautiful. She slithered gracefully through the air, much swifter than when she moved about in the clouds as a ghost, or something. Jade discovered the sound was coming from a building that loomed out of the ether fog – a museum, and a conveniently labeled one at that. She grinned, showing off her rows of needle sharp teeth as she floated before the structures astral reflection.

"Success, but that wasn't how it was supposed to happen. It's almost like I was pulled here instead of finding it myself," Jade mused darkly gathering her coils into a mound under head.

"Give it time, you are young!" a deep echoing voice assured her. Someone was behind her, and she could feel a grin full of interest and malice on her; instinct made her break the trance, vanishing from the astral world in a puff of smoke.

_

* * *

_

Tokyo, Japan

"Ruff, ruff!" Scruffy barked at the statue of some Japanese artifact that looked vaguely like a lion. Jade realized the tingling in her head meant she now knew what it was via consumption, but didn't care enough to remember. The Queen of All Oni had bigger problems than her dog taking an issue with a glorified hunk of stone.

It was so simple; she learned exactly where the mask was. This museum in Tokyo dedicated to Japanese antiquity, and it had been child's play for Left and Right to let her human lackeys in. A quick look at the directory indicated there was a mask exhibit in this room, humanity's cataloguing system working towards its own downfall yet again.

But now...

"How many Oni masks could they have?" Jade had dismissed Finn's concerns on knowing which mask was the magic one. As they entered the exhibit that question was answered by the Oni Mask display.

Answer, at least a hundred masks, which filled most of a wall. Why couldn't it be easy just once?

"Not a word," she growled to her henchmen. Hak Foo was the first one to start being useful; walking over to the display, he grabbed a mask, put it on and discarded it. This would take awhile. Jade frowned; she could sense the mask, but this time it was like a faint scent she couldn't isolate. Her stolen knowledge said that was because it hadn't been used in a long time. Irritated at Hak Foo's enthusiastic but slow progress she turned a withering look on her other human subordinates.

"Well, don't just stand there," she stated. They got the message and joined Hak Foo at the wall, putting on and discarding masks.

This was not good; the way these things worked Jackie would fall in through a window or something any time now to mess things up. Left and Right weren't by her side for once, following her earlier orders to closely watch the humans for when the mask went on. She wouldn't be taken by surprise if this mask was uppity as well. Though it may have been Valmont's own treachery that caused that fiasco she would have to be cautious with the masks and dealing with the general they contained. It would be easier to just eat all the masks, but apparently one couldn't rule more than one tribe at a time.

Regardless, she needed an edge for when Jackie inevitably showed up and it wasn't looking like it was going to happen. After all, this was like sniffing out the one...

"Sniffing, hmm. Well, the noblest dog should have a good nose," Jade mused, putting a knuckle to her chin. It was a long shot, but why not take it?

"Scruffy!" she called out. When there was no answering bark she looked around. She blinked in confusion with the realization her dog was not present.

* * *

Research, in the calm and sanitary environment of one of Japan's most venerated museums, with the only sound the rustling of paper or shifting in seats. Jackie found himself waiting for a certain absent girl to complain about the monotony.

Jackie Chan wondered what his niece was doing right now. Viper was right; she seemed to still be like herself and he couldn't see her dedicating every waking moment to any single thing like past foes. Valmont had talked about her playing Game Boy, and of course dog-napping her pet. Even without the bond between them, it was unnerving to think the enemy was so "human" this time.

"Any luck?" he asked, uncomfortable with Jadeless silence. Uncle and Tohru sat at a pair of long tables laid out parallel in the room, holding scrolls and microfilms taken of scrolls too delicate or valuable to be taken out of the vaults for men who lacked the proper credentials. It was only Captain Black's influence and calling in a few favors that had allowed them the access they had.

"Nothing, the Shadowkhan and Oni blend with other spirits and demons in these records. Fools make no line between myths and true history," Uncle griped, glaring at the papers as if his gaze would set them ablaze.

"Actually, I have found something Sensei. This old temple scroll speaks of the Shadow-Binders. In the days of chaos when the power of the Shogunate collapsed and Japan was reduced to a civil war of warring states for generations, a race of Oni set out to conquer the land. They seem to have enjoyed considerable success, posing a threat to the Emperor's rule. Yet they were defeated by an alliance of three sages, thereafter known as the Shadow-Binders. The scroll is vague and damaged but it seems the sages carried out three tasks after their victory. One hid the Oni that they had defeated, another hid their power, and the last one crafted the Hana Fuda cards," Tohru explained, looking up from the microfilm he was reading.

"Hana Fuda Cards?" Jackie asked.

"Yes, a deck of cards which contained the knowledge of the Shadow-Binders. It is the only one not said to be hidden, apparently entrusted to a shrine to be passed down in perpetuity," Tohru affirmed.

"Knowledge," Jackie tasted the word. Despite having fought the Shadowkhan so many times, they knew little about them; knowledge handed down from their ancient foes would be invaluable.

"Bah, Japanese and their card fetish," Uncle scoffed, dismissing the notion with a wave.

"Uncle, this is no-" Jackie began to defend Tohru's findings before he cut himself off. The wizard and apprentice both stopped what they were doing to see what had gained Jackie's attention. The archaeologist had slid over to the door, which was cracked open when he distinctly remembered it being closed. Silently placing himself so his hand was on the knob but out of any line of sight from the crack, he flung the door open… to reveal exactly nothing.

Someone had been here though; he frowned, recognizing the smell of the perfume from their last encounter.

"Jackie?" Uncle demanded an explanation with his name.

"...Nothing to worry about," Jackie told them. While he was very annoyed to be spied on, he knew Viper's heart was in the right place on this one. Still, did the situation need to become even more complicated, he wondered in exasperation?

He was lost enough in his musings that someone less skilled in stealth than an internationally famed thief snuck up on him. He was surprised to see Jackie, but quite happy to encounter him.

"RUFF!" Scruffy greeted his keeper's alpha with his best bark. Jackie leapt into the air with a cry at the sound. Tohru and Uncle rushed to the door and joined Jackie in looking down at the little dog as he rolled onto his back and looked up at them expectantly.

"Scruffy?" Tohru asked, receiving a bark in answer.

"Scruffy! Here boy!" Jade called out as she rounded a corner in the hallway, actually walking for once. She caught sight of her pet rolled over on the floor a second before her gaze met her stunned family. For a few seconds they just stared at each other in shock.

"I really should have seen this coming," Jade sighed. She reached for her cloth ninja belt, only to not find whatever she was looking for, her expression becoming irritated at that. Forcing a grin she looked at her surprised kin and Torhu with the slightly disturbing expression.

"Uh, I'll be back in a sec," she told them. Rising into the air she darted back the way she had come.

"After her!" Uncle cried whipping out his puffer fish and lizard.

Dropping all thoughts of research, the three took off in pursuit. Though they didn't have to go far before Jade ducked into an exhibit.

"Tell me you idiots found it!" Jade demanded. The Enforcers turned from the wall, beginning some kind of apology, while Hak Foo ignored her and continued to try on masks.

"Should have guessed," Jade sighed as Jackie and company burst through the entranceway. After confirming Jade's presence, their attention shifted to the Enforcers and thus to the mask wall, their eyes bugging out.

"Jackie, Oni mask must be here!" Uncle exclaimed.

"But which one sensei?" Tohru asked in confusion. Further queries were interrupted when Jade swept out her arms as the ghost wind blew, summoning six Shadowhkhan from the darkness in the room.

"You may never know; you attack, you guys keep at those masks!" Jade commanded. The Shadowkhan sprang into action, while the Enforcers turned back to the masks. As shuriken filled the air, Tohru had to dive to the left while Jackie and Uncle dodged between the steel. Pulling out his blowfish, Uncle let loose a blast of green chi as he came out of the dodging motion. It nailed one of the charging ninja in the chest, making it burst into smoke. Jackie reached out; grabbing a spear decorated with dyed horsehair he had found himself next too. With a two-handed swing he came around, driving back the Khan who had closed in on him.

Tohru picked himself up and saw he was next to a bench, no doubt for visitors to rest on as they toured the museum. He had other ideas; reaching down, he gave a heave and was rewarded by splintering wood as the bench left the bolts that had secured it to the floor behind. Seeing Jackie hard pressed with a pair of Shadowkhan, Tohru charged with a roar, lifting the bench like a bat. The Khan turned in time for their eyes to widen as a bench plowed into them with the force of Tohru's weight behind it. One dispersed immediately, while the other went flying into an exit and burst into smoke on impact.

"They mustn't find the mask," Tohru stated, glancing over to the Shadow Hand making headway against the number of masks.

"Which one?" Jackie reiterated. Tohru narrowed his eyes at the array of potential danger, and then it occurred to him what Jade would do.

"We don't need to know if they don't either, bring the display down," Tohru realized. Shifting his grip, he launched the bench like a spear. The Shadow Hand heard and screamed at the incoming projectile, with the exception of Hak Foo. The crimson haired mercenary calmly stood his ground as the bench slammed into the wall a hair's breath from his left shoulder.

"Missed," he commented smugly.

"Wrong," Tohru answered. The sound of wood hitting the floor made Hak look to the side as a mask fell to the floor, then another, and another…

"No!" Hak Foo cried as the entire wall of masks fell, making it impossible to distinguish between the tested and untested.

"Squirrel searches for buried acorn!" Hak Foo cried as he bent over and resumed searching for the correct mask.

"You'll pay for that," Jade cried as she hurled through the air, her outstretched foot striking the back of Tohru's head as her kick landed… to no real effect. Frowning, she repeated the motion, stomping on his head from her sideways angle. She gave a yelp as a large hand grabbed her around the neck.

"Sorry Jade," Torhu apologized as he tried to avoid choking her, but after last time not willing to risk just grabbing her clothes.

Tohru had Jade, she could only flail helplessly in his grip; it was a moment he would reflect on and regret. The massive man knew he should flee the battle with her, as catching and curing the girl was their goal, not the masks. But he had no spell for this. And more so he was frozen by recollection; once he had fondly envisioned a moment like this, to have Chan's brat in his grasp and snap her neck like a twig.

He stood still but the world continued to turn. Jade somehow let out a high pitched shriek that made the humans in the room wince while the Shadowkhan turned their undivided attention on Tohru and Queen Jade. Right was closest, or rather, made himself closest as Jackie intercepted Left. The bodyguard Shadowkhan reached out his hand and ripped off a piece of shadow from a samurai's armor. The shadow writhed and swiftly sprouted and grew into a katana.

The midnight black sword was at Tohru's throat in an instant, held a hair's breadth away from the vital flesh.

"Tohru!" Uncle called out, leveling his chi blaster at the threatening Khan.

"Oh man, this is getting heavy," Ratso commented. The Enforcer took a step back, his foot coming down on a mask that slid under his weight. With a cry, he fell to the floor, his face plopping down into a purple Oni mask.

The roar he made once more grabbed everyone's attention as he surged back to his feet while the mask grew to cover his head. Jade smirked as Tohru's grip slacked. In one motion she pried his hand loose and was flying upward to cling to the ceiling, her cloak falling about her like a bat in a cave. Right withdrew his sword and brought the sumo down with a sweeping kick, only to be struck by a bolt of green chi before Tohru hit the ground, sending him flying. Jackie and Left stopped in their match, watching events unfold. And Hak Foo griped:

"Ah, I wanted that mask," the mercenary complained.

"Time to rock and roll!" Ratso declared as the mask finished attaching. He stood there with his arms raised dramatically… after a few moments of nothing, even the Shadowkhan blinked.

"Well?" Queen Jade demanded, letting go of the ceiling and floating down to hover over the floor.

"Uh, how do I summon Shadowkhan?" Ratso asked.

"What? Just do it!" Jade commanded.

"Okay, okay, Shadowkhan arise!" Ratso shouted… nothing happened.

"Shadowkhan powers activate!" he shouted, striking a dramatic pose. Once more, nothing. Jackie took advantage of his opponent's distraction and struck Left squarely over the head with the pole of the spear, sending him collapsing to the ground as Jackie apologized. Jade looked murderous as battle once more unfolded around them, Right fleeing for his life as Tohru pursued him with his fish blaster and a shield he had retrieved from one of the exhibits. Jade summoned more Shadowkhan to keep Uncle and Jackie busy and her eye twitched when she noticed the Enforcers doing nothing.

"You three get in there! And _you_ get in touch with your inner ninja or something!" Jade shouted. A bead of sweat was running down the side of her face; she hadn't really been expecting this, she should have eaten more to summon this many of her Shadowkhan. Just wait till they got a load of her special project…

It was at this point she heard chanting and saw Uncle performing some ritual with a green glowing katana. With a swing of the sword the spell seemed to reach its climax as a bolt of green energy surged across the room to strike Ratso. For a moment the energy washed over the enforcer, before dissipating to no apparent effect.

"Japanese steel didn't work? Aiyah! Each mask must require different ingredient!" Uncle cursed as Jade smiled at the revelation. What was bad for them was good for her, provided the moron could actually summon his shadowkhan!

"Well looks like the party's already started," a voice calmly cut through the fight. Jade whirled away from the straining Ratso, to see none other than Viper walk into the exhibit with a grocer's bag slung over her shoulders.

"Blue's a new look for you Jade," Viper commented casually, as the Queen of the Shadowkhan turned her attention on the thief. Despite the sharp teeth, the smile Jade held might have actually been pleasant.

"Viper! This is a pleasant surprise, and convenient," Jade commented. Viper cocked an eyebrow at that last comment, crossing her arms, clearly waiting for an explanation. Uncle, kneeling behind a display of samurai armor, watched the exchange intently.

"Valmont proved to be a disappointment, and despite getting most of what he stole back I just don't have the expertise on the underworld to make good use of it. I need a number two and you more than fit the bill.

"Besides, I know better than to expect great things from this team. Some girl power just might be what I need to push me over the top," Jade explained. Viper smiled sweetly at the offer and Jade's grin grew wider.

"Not even a little interested," Viper replied pleasantly. Jade scowled.

"Is it money you want? I can pay you quite generously; I imagine Jackie isn't even buying you lunch," Jade speculated peevishly pointing to her diadem as a sign of the wealth she possessed.

"First of all, I am strictly freelance, no one's employee. And secondly, I won't be helping you dig yourself a deeper hole, sorry kid," Viper clarified, reaching into her bag.

"Oh, you are _going_ to be sorry," Jade fumed. The Khan dropped what they were doing and jumped in to flank her, weapons drawn. Viper was undaunted, and the look in her eyes made Jade realize she might have just stepped in something.

"No, I meant sorry about this," Viper countered. She whipped her hand out, twisted around, and let the onion fly with speed and accuracy better suited to the baseball mound. Queen Jade blinked once in confusion before the onion splattered across the bridge of her nose, covering her face in its juices. She lifted her hand toward her face as it began to itch and by the time she touched it she realized someone had been so inconsiderate as to set her eyes on fire.

"WAHHHHHHH!" Jade screamed as she lost focus and fell to the ground, running around as yellow foam billowed from her eyes. Save for Left and Right, the Khan vanished back in the shadows; the bodyguards glanced to each other as if hoping their brother would have some idea on what to do. Finally, whether by design or happenstance, Jade ran into the shadow of a statue and didn't emerge.

The two bodyguard Khan took this as a signal to withdraw, springing into action. Left grabbed Finn and Chow, while Right dragged the still constipated-looking Ratso and a very irritated Hak Foo into the floor. The heroes were left in awkward silence.

"Dang, when you said onions would get to her, I didn't expect that. I'm actually feeling sorry despite the whole evil thing," Viper told Tohru as she glanced at the dissolving foam trail Jade had left in her wake.

"Uh, it just wards Oni off in the stories, she should be fine once she washes it off," Tohru muttered nervously. He hadn't anticipated such a strong himself, so he hoped he was right now.

"What are you doing here?" Uncle screamed at Viper, popping out of somewhere. Viper gave the wizard a look that told him where to go and what to do there, but she also decided to speak.

"Winning your battles," Viper quipped.

"The mask removal spell, if each mask requires a different ingredient..." Jackie let the sentence trail off. It was like the demon portal quest; only it was simple enough with research to find the symbol of a legendary immortal. The Shadowkhan, however, seemed to have been swallowed into the mythology of Japan. It was only dumb luck that the first mask had come with instructions!

"Thief, Jade offered you a place in her dark plans," Uncle stated. Jackie and Tohru gasped, turning their attention to Viper, who frowned, glaring at the wizard.

"Well, if you were listening, you heard me say no and throw an onion in her face. Just because I'm an outlaw doesn't mean I'm a cheerleader for the dark side, old-timer. I'm going to help Jade, regardless of what you think," Viper declared. Turning on her heels, she stalked off into the shadows.

* * *

_Elsewhere:_

The Shadow Hand had retreated to the hotel Jade had secured – not the suite she wanted, but it was nice enough – Finn and Chow sitting and enjoying the mini-bar while Hak Foo perched on a couch brooding, and Jade ate her second platter of sushi with her bodyguards standing at her sides. Scruffy gnawed on bone from the ridiculously expensive T-bone steak Jade had for breakfast oblivious to their concerns.

"Shazam!" Ratso shouted, pumping a fist. The other Shadow Hand members gave him a strange look.

"Oh, like you have any great ideas," Ratso pouted, which was quite strange looking with his demonic face. Despite hours of trying, they continued to fail on getting Ratso to summon his Shadowkhan, now they were resorting to the ridiculous. Hak Foo rose from the edge of the couch he was perched on, a thoughtful look on his face. He walked over to Ratso, who was trying to get in touch with his inner ninja again, and slammed him fist into the Enforcer's stomach.

Ratso gasped out in pain as he folded in half, falling to his knees.

"Dude!" Finn objected, springing to his feet.

"I thought being attacked might bring them out," Hak Foo answered evenly. That was part of it; he was still pissed to have missed out on a mask, as there was no way he would have so much trouble doing what a weakling like Valmont so easily accomplished.

"You never had this trouble did ya?" Chow asked Jade, still sipping his drink. Jade shook her head, glancing to Right – when had he started to wear a daisho? For that matter, when did she learn what a daisho was? Acquiring someone else's memories could be confusing.

"You wanna dance Red?" Ratso growled, coming back to his feet.

"Hmm, that may actually be the ticket, maybe if we put you in mortal danger your Shadowkhan will appear to save you!" Jade beamed at her own cleverness.

"Huh?" Ratso asked, puzzled. He cried out as Hak Foo slipped behind him and caught his arms in a hold.

"Open the window," Hak Foo declared. Jade nodded to Right, who complied, opening the window looking out on the Tokyo skyline. Ratso turned a paler shade of purple.

"Can't we talk about this? !" Ratso pleaded.

"Mother bird pushes chick out of nest," Hak Foo declared as they drew closer to the window.

"You have proven very loyal, so if you do survive I will name you deputy chief henchman," Jade answered, popping more sushi in her mouth.

"Does that come with a raise?" Ratso asked as Hak Foo pushed him forward.

"No," Jade quipped. She looked up when she heard Hak Foo grunt. Ratso had stopped him in his tracks; what's more, his eyes were glowing red. With seemingly no effort, he flung out his arms, breaking Hak Foo's grip and, reaching back, grabbed the mercenary by a handful of hair and tossed him over his head. Jade actually gulped when the mercenary impacted the wall a hair's breadth wide of the window and fell to the ground.

"Okay, how about an eight-percent increase?" Jade asked Ratso. His red eyes bored into her, and she had a feeling this wasn't about money. Scruffy barked at Ratso, bearing his teeth.

"_Enough fooling around, he wants to see you where the clouds are forever stained by twilight_," a steely dark voice called, as if from a deep cave. He blinked, and when the eyes opened they were Ratso's again, who glanced around confused.

"Where did I go just now?" he asked, noticing everyone was looking at him sunned, even Left and Right.

"Well, what do we have here?" Jade wondered aloud, already knowing the place for the meeting. Hopping down to the floor, she walked across the room, Left and Right flanking her. Right opened the door to her current bedroom and closed it behind her, Left moving to stand guard in front of the door, one hand resting on the pommel of his katana.

"Did I miss something?" Ratso asked the other Enforcers as he noticed Hak Foo angrily getting up off the floor.

* * *

Jade opened her eyes and smiled to see she was back in the twilight clouds that seemed to be her default for the astral plane. She frowned when she shifted in position and realized she was still missing a few things.

"Why am I still a snake?" Jade demanded, glaring at her trailing form with flaring eyes.

"It's _your_ astral form, you tell me," a deep echoing voice commented. Jade ducked her head, as far as her new form allowed, looking under and behind herself. Yes, she could make out some vague shape in the clouds there. Quick as a whip she shot forward, piercing the clouds headfirst; only to glance around in wide-eyed confusion when she emerged to find nothing there.

"Well you've certainly gotten used to that form quick," the voice observed idly. Jade narrowed her eyes as she slithered through the air searching for another silhouette.

"I recognize your voice now. You're the one who showed me the museum – you stole my arms bastard!" Jade shrieked.

"I find arms aren't particularly necessary, and you're welcome for pointing you in the right direction," she could hear a smirk on that last phrase.

"Who are you?" Jade demanded. She stopped her search, coiling herself up without realizing it as she kept a wary eye out on the clouds.

"Oh, I'm just someone who wants you to succeed in this bold endeavor of yours. Both because I stand to benefit from your success, and because you are quite the intriguing specimen," the voice admitted.

"If you're an ally, show yourself; as you can see, I'm quite armless," Jade sneered at the unseen speaker.

"Terrible pun and I'm not exactly holding back. You see I'm kind of tied up at the moment and these cryptic encounters are the best I can manage. Well, for the time being at least.

"Succeed in your quest, and I assure you we will meet, face to face," the voice cackled.

"You're one of the Generals; you've somehow bypassed the seal. The last General I met didn't exactly inspire confidence," Jade remarked with clear suspicion.

"Ah yes, Kaito; thanks for killing him, he was a fool. You are a definite upgrade from him as General of the Shinobi Tribe. You will find the other Generals to be more reasonable, or at the very least more considerate in their treachery. After all one doesn't get the station by being nice, you ate _your_ predecessor after all," he explained with a grin Jade could almost hear.

"Is this the part were you ask for something in return for the favors?" Jade asked, dismissing her own actions with a wave of her tail.

"No, that comes later. For now you have a very important task. Your enemies seek the Hana Fuda Cards," the voice declared.

"The hana whata cards?" Jade asked, quite confused.

"The Hana Fuda Cards; they are the bane of your quest, you must destroy them or your adversaries' threat will become infinitely more potent.

"Well, that's all the time I can manage for now, you'd best slither along little serpent. Oh, and it's the darkness within, not the ninja within," the voice bide farewell coyly. Jade tried to blow a raspberry after him, but instead found herself waving a forked tongue in the air. Looking fit to burst, she sucked the tongue back in and dissolved into smoke, leaving the astral plane behind.

* * *

The other Chans were also at a hotel, though in far more humble lodgings, made all the more humble by Tohru's expanse and the scattering of research materials. The museum administration had wanted to have them arrested when security found them in the midst of the battle torn exhibit. It had taken a call from Captain Black's associates in Tokyo to prevent being taken in by the Tokyo police for questioning. Worse, they now had to use secondary resources with the curator flatly and, for a Japanese man, rudely refusing to let them remove anything from the museum.

"Sensei, I think I have a lead," Tohru stated suddenly. Jackie and Uncle put down their various books to turn to Tohru, who was seated on a bed, holding a newspaper – which may well have burst into flames with Uncles glare.

"Tohru, we are supposed to be doing research, not shopping!" Uncle yelled, waving his hand at the ad Tohru was showing.

"I know sensei, I grabbed this by mistakes when I dropped that folder in the lobby. I thought the kanji for Hana Fuda looked familiar, but couldn't place it. Here it is; it's the logo for Japan's youngest car company!" Tohru explained proudly at fitting his piece of the puzzle.

"You think the company could be connected to the cards?" Jackie asked, intrigued but leery. The ad Torhu was pointing to in the paper did show a car with matching kanji to the research material.

"The Pig Talisman became the symbol for a Bavarian choclateer, who's to say the cards didn't find their way into shaping someone's destiny in this country? Even if the cards aren't present we could find clues to their whereabouts. They used to be in a shrine in Matsuai, but I read that the shrine was demolished years ago," Tohru explained. He cried out as two fingers struck him over the brow.

"I told you cards not important. What kind of chi wizard would use cards for something so important?" Uncle declared.

"A Japanese one? Sensei, I do not question your wisdom, but by your own admission your understanding of Japan is cursory. We have to do something and there are no other leads," Tohru insisted, rubbing the struck spot.

"Better to look for the right path than run down the wrong one," Uncle stated, picking up a book from the floor.

"And better to try and fail, than fail by doing nothing," Tohru countered, standing up.

"So says the man who wants a thief's help," Uncle huffed. Tohru's expression darkened as he leveled Uncle with a look that would make his mother proud.

"Yes, I think we should accept Viper's help. It's foolish to turn down an ally that is sincere and valuable to our cause," Tohru declared with finality. Uncle dropped the book, looking to Tohru with shock at the blatant insult before scowling.

"Uncle, Tohru – ow!" Jackie began before Uncle hit him over the head.

"You think Uncle is foolish?" the wizard demanded.

"No, but you are acting like a fool. Jade as an enemy changes everything! She already has one army under her command and we have no idea how to strip her of it. And she knows us too well; whatever weaknesses we have she knows and will use them against us.

"Viper has knowledge we need. She has skills that we don't and she is aloof enough that Jade may not have her figured out. We need to change how we approach this problem or we will loose Jade for good!" Tohru bellowed his held back views. Uncle actually reddened before Jackie stepped between the two; ready to hold them back if it came to blows.

"Please stop fighting! Jade might not know how the new mask works, but knowing her it is only a matter of time before she figures it out. Who knows what she will do with two armies of Shadowkhan?" Jackie pleaded, stepping between the two furious wizards. Tohru took a deep breath and walked back to the bed, picking up the scroll again. Uncle looked furious still, and then as if a switch was flipped the anger drained away. He looked down at the puffer fish he still held out, drawn without realizing it as he argued with Tohru. Uncle frowned at his catalyst as if just noticing something off about it.

* * *

With one army of Shadowkhan at your command you were a force to be reckoned with, but with two...

"Strike! You're out," Finn proclaimed nervously. The ball had zipped past the Ninja Khan, propelled by the newly dubbed Razor Khan on the pitcher's mound.

"Final score, 5-4," Jade grinded out as Ratso swallowed. He had never been so conflicted; on the one hand he just realized his dream of coaching a winning baseball team. On the other hand he had just beaten his boss, who was not the most stable volcano on the island.

"Obviously you cheated," Jade deadpanned, crossing her arms. Sulking, she devoured her 12th hot dog with everything since the game started – where do you even get hot dogs in Japan, they wondered. Ratso was torn between admitting that and maybe getting out of the frying pan, and defending his earned victory, when he slumped forward.

"Bowing won't hurt, but it won't help much either," Queen Jade stated, licking mustard off her fingers. When Ratso straightened up, showing off a pair of glowing red eyes, she forgot about the remaining six dogs as her ninja sprang between her and the possessed Enforcer.

"_Stop fooling around and destroy the Hana Fuda cards_!" the General commanded indignantly. Having said his piece, the glow faded from Ratso's eyes and he looked around, puzzled by the apparent blackout.

"You were just admitting defeat. How about a nice game of cards next?" Jade proclaimed to all present.

* * *

The train station was practically deserted, though that didn't concern these three, as they were quite capable of handling the perils normally associated with such a place.

"We must take the train to Matsuai, that is the best place to begin our search for the Hana Fuda cards," Tohru said. Noticing Uncle heading towards another train, he added, "Sensei that is not our train."

"No, it is mine," Uncle corrected. The younger men were shocked as the meaning sunk in.

"Uncle, you're leaving?" Jackie asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Uncle is only getting in your way. The best thing I can do is get out of your way and let you pursue Jade unburdened," Uncle explained with a surprising air of calm.

"Sensei, I am sorry I was-" Tohru apologized before Uncle raised a hand to silence him. The old man looked a little sad, but also a little proud at his apprentice.

"You were speaking the truth. You have knowledge of Japanese legends, Uncle does not; you get Willies from Oni, Uncle does not; you know tricks with vegetables Uncle does not; and you are willing to adapt to terrible new situation, Uncle was not," Uncle listed his reasons with sadness.

"Sensei, we need your wisdom," Tohru pleaded, taking a step forward, hands spread imploringly. Uncle shook his head, stepping back.

"There comes a time when a teacher becomes an obstacle to his student's growth. A good teacher recognizes when that time comes, and steps aside to let his student use what he has learned to pursue wisdom as only he can. I will see you back at the shop, best of luck," Uncle gave a very slight but respectable bow. Without further words exchanged, the old wizard turned and boarded his train just before the doors closed. Jackie and Tohru watched the train roll out, shocked at what had just happened.

"He's gone," Tohru numbly stated. Jackie had nothing to say in response; he couldn't help but feel he had failed another member of his family. They didn't say anything as they boarded the train to Matsuai. Jackie took a seat while Tohru stood holding a bar and staring out into the darkness of the tunnel.

"Wow, I didn't see that coming," Viper admitted as she walked up to them in her civilian clothes of a light blue short sleeve top and denims. They both whirled in their spots to see her with wide-eyed surprise.

"Viper?" they exclaimed simultaneously. She smiled at their antics before taking a seat next to Jackie.

"I followed you; I really don't know how to track Jade right now. So I figured I'd use your trouble magnetism to my advantage.

"I heard what the wizard said. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble. I didn't think much of him beyond the magic stuff, but it takes a real man to be that honest with themselves and act on it.

"So where are we going exactly?" Viper inquired.

So both sides journeyed through the night towards yet another encounter.

_

* * *

_

Matsuai, Hana Auto Plant:

"You are with the police?" the president of the company asked, looking over their appearances. He had let security admit these three but now he was having some second thoughts. After all, they were alone on the assembly floor of the factory and the nearest phone was inside his glass-lined office. The plant had shut down hours ago, evidenced by the absence of his sports coat leaving him with a white button-up shirt and a black tie bearing his company logo. These three were much less smartly dressed, with the woman just strangely dressed in some kind of spy movie jumpsuit.

"Uh, not exactly, we are, uh, contracted you might say, by the American government in crimes relating to antiquities. I'm an archaeologist," Jackie answered. The executive frowned a bit, finding that quite unusual, but then again he knew little of how Americans handled such things.

"And you believe my family's deck of cards are involved in something? What, there is nothing else old here in the factory?" the president grinned at seemingly getting the drop on them with his guess.

"So the Cards are here?" Tohru pressed.

"Right in my office. I don't really go in for the mystic matters but they are a family heirloom and something of a company symbol," the president answered. He retreated back into the Plexiglas enclosed office, leaving the three adventurers alone.

"Do you think Jade knows about the cards?" Viper asked.

"No, but she does tend to find out things she shouldn't know," Jackie answered her.

"Here they are, the Hana Fuda Cards," the company president announced, returning with a picture frame held in his hands. He tilted the frame up, revealing the cards spread out beneath the glass.

"Even though the shrine is gone my father insisted that I keep the cards. They make an interesting conversation piece, but why would anyone go to the trouble of stealing them? Even though they are antiques I doubt there is much of a market for archaic cards with nothing on them," the executive mused, handing them to Tohru, who examined them under the glass. At the last sentence, Tohru stopped his examination and Viper spoke up.

"Wait, the cards are blank?" Viper asked.

"Yes, the other sides are empty. Supposedly there used to be rituals that could reveal something on them, but even my grandfather knew nothing of that. So you see, while interesting, those cards are probably worth less than a car that rolls off this assembly line," the executive told them. He glanced to Tohru as the latter shivered and pulled a puffer fish from somewhere. The others followed his lead, Jackie getting into a stance, glancing around while Viper palmed an onion.

"Well someone has no self-confidence problems," Jade's voice echoed through the factory. The executive glanced around in alarm at the intrusion.

"What's going on?" the descendant of shrine keepers demanded, panic creeping into his voice. He could feel the weight of eyes on him, and the attention was far from pleasant.

"Who's there?" he demanded with hollow authority. His eyes expanded into dishpans as ninja silently rose from the darkness around them, red eyes burning in the night.

"The Queen of all Oni, and company," the girl's voice called again. He saw her now hovering in the air in front of the assembly line, a blue child in black with a silver crown, those same red eyes, and a horrible fanged smile splitting her face.

"Oni!" he whispered in panic, taking a step back. A wind kicked up in front of him and he found himself looking at the chest of someone in a suit. Glancing up was something he instantly regretted, since it brought him face to face with another demon.

"Boo," Ratso leaned down, towards the poor rich man. His last nerve snapping, the company president ran like hell, screaming in terror as Queen Jade laughed at the sight, turning her attention to the three figures standing in opposition to the twelve khan she had summoned for the occasion. Wait, three?

"Where's Uncle at? I've got brand new tricks to show off and I need an audience," Jade mock pouted. She brightened, giving another toothy grin; she had practiced in the mirror to get the creepy effect down, after all, why not flaunt it?

"But you brought Viper so I guess it all balances out. Show them," she nodded to Ratso.

"Right boss, darkness within, darkness within," Ratso chanted, holding his arms up and out. The trio watched in horror as round puddles of shadow grew into life around him. From each rose a Shadowkhan, but not the familiar dark ninja.

They still had something of a ninja look, but they were taller and far less human, their shape all straightedges and points, from their rectangular hoods to their blade like legs that balanced deftly on the smooth floor. What really attracted attention were their long arms, which ended in hands that held steel blades in the place of fingers and thumbs. If not for the eyes and the same style of clothing they could pass for a whole different breed of darkness.

"Pretty impressive aren't they? Though of course not as impressive as my ninja. And the news doesn't stop there," Jade remarked. Reaching into her cloak, she pulled out a needle half as thick as her pinky and half again as long as her hand. Against its shining steel they could see something dark tied to the needle as she held it out for them to see.

"You remember in Spain, when my hair and a flower made a chi zapper fit to knock the Earth Demon back on his rear? Well I figured since I'm even more awesome now my hair and metal would make a better zapper," Jade explained. She shifted the needle in her grip, pointing it at the heroes.

"_Kage,_" she said, the word sending black chi surging from her hand down the needle. The chi gathered for about two seconds in a small ball at the tip, before exploding outward as a black bolt. Fortunately that delay was enough for the heroes to move out of the way with Jackie going left while Viper went right with Tohru. The black bolt tore through empty space before striking a wall, cracking it on impact. Except for Viper, the heroes exclaimed at the damage caused by the new chi weapon.

"Well that's more impressive than I expected," Jade admitted as specks of black energy continued to run down the needle growing into streams running up and down it. Jade looked down at the needle with a frown and shook it as if to shake off the energy.

"Hey, how do you turn this thing off!" Jade shouted as the streams of black magic came together and burst out in a white flash. With a loud bang, smoke and light burst around Jade. The Ninja Khan sank back into the shadows with the exception of Left and Right, who watched the smoke clear with the others. Which revealed Jade coughing up smoke, hanging in the air from her cloak, snagged on one of the assembly line's upraised arms. The needle was now charred black and stinking of burned hair; Jade snapped it in half with her bare hands and tossed it aside before straightening her lopsided crown.

"Well, get me down," she ordered Ratso.

"You heard her," Ratso told one of his Razor Khan. The Shadowkhan surged forward, its claws raised for the strike. It struck with a single finger, so fast it left only an electric blue line in its wake; cutting Jade's cloak just above her head, dropping her to the factory floor on her rear.

Jade gave a squawk as she plopped to the ground. Hurt and angry, she turned her gaze on Left, who sprang into action at the silent command, smacking Ratso upside the head.

"Hey, give me a break! I'm new at this!" Ratso griped, rubbing his head.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jade cried out. The heroes had been attempting sneak out, in the hopes of figuring out the Hana Fuda Cards so they could use it against this new threat. Jade, while out of play, wasn't about to give up.

"New plan, you stay here and make sure Ratso doesn't mess this up. _You_ get me to an all you can eat buffet," Jade commanded. Right picked her up and melted back into the shadows while Ratso cracked his knuckles, watching Left from the corner of his eyes. Ball in his court, eh? Fine with him, it was high time he got to be a power player.

"Boys! Make poppa proud," Ratso bellowed, sending his khan into action.

"Viper!" Tohru shouted, tossing her the cards as he raised his puffer fish. She caught it deftly and watched as the khan shifted their focus from him to her.

"Guess I'm it," Viper grinned, before turning and taking off. Green blasts tore into the khan as they pursued her and Jackie at Ratso's command.

"Don't forget about me Ratso," Tohru warned his former coworker.

"Wouldn't dream of it Big T. You've had this coming for a long time," Ratso remarked, pulling more Shadowkhan out of the shadows and sending them into the hail of fire from Tohru's fish. The purple masked man was distracted as one of his khan appeared before him holding the frame he had seen the cards in.

"Awesome," the pseudo-General proclaimed, grabbing the frame. Flipping it over, he saw an empty picture frame.

"Not awesome," he growled, tearing the wood and glass in half. Left quirked an unseen eyebrow as he watched the proceedings.

The scene Uncle came on was chaotic… so, business as usual. Somehow the factory's assembly line was working and the new Shadowkhan were pursuing Jackie all over it. The factory seemed to be winning the three-way fight as Jackie dodged the deadly ninjas and machines.

The thief was off to the side kneeling on the floor fooling around with some cards while his apprentice tried to hold back the tide. With the masked Enforcer advancing on the fight between Tohru and his khan it was clear things were about to get _verrry_ bad. So Uncle shot the thug just as he asked Viper to deal him in.

"Sensei!" Tohru cried out jubilantly as he turned to see Uncle stepping into the lights of the factory floor, fish aglow. Uncle responded by firing off a round at the sharp new khan, only for the spell to barely stun them.

"I have a new spell with onions added!" Tohru called to him. Uncle nodded with understanding, sidestepping a running strike by one of the khan he had struck with apparent ease. The next one managed to get in his face, only to get a face full of a less effective but still blinding stun spell. Twisting around it, Uncle found himself back to back with Tohru.

"Spot Uncle a spell?" the old man asked. Toru smiled and reversed his hold on his fish and held it back at his side. Uncle had his fish kiss Tohru's, replacing his spell with Tohru's. Snapping back to the battle, Uncle strolled forward and from his knees let loose a barrage of spell fire, each finding their target, clearing their part of the factory of the ninja in seconds.

"Uncle will handle ninjas, you take care of cards," Uncle told Tohru.

"It's good to have you back," Tohru told him before turning to help Viper, who was cutting the cards like she was playing poker. That gave him an idea.

"Don't dump the Gatorade yet, I've got plenty more where they came from," Ratso told Uncle as he climbed back to his feet. Raising just one hand he called forth another circle of Razor Khan. Uncle simply blew some imaginary smoke off the mouth of his fish as the next wave advanced in a fury of steel and darkness.

"Cards are typically for games. Maybe the Hana Fuda are no different, but like a puzzle to be solved. The immortals used a puzzle box as the key to the Demon Sorcerers' portals, perhaps the Shadow-Binders used a puzzle to protect their knowledge without putting it out of reach," Tohru told Viper as he rearranged the cards while battle commenced behind them.

"Games, huh, how about crazy eights?" Viper asked. Tohru glanced at her with a look that asked if she was serious. She shrugged, but he arranged three cards in a row anyway, and was rewarded when they began to glow.

"We've unlocked it; one card shows what they mask looks like, the second where to find it, and finally the mask removal ingredient. Japanese silk," Tohru explained to Viper as the images appeared in the cards. He looked to Viper expectantly before his eyes drifted to her jumpsuit.

"Not the silk type, Big Guy, besides these are working clothes," Viper told him.

"Old man, we need silk!" Viper called out to Uncle as he ducked a swipe of claws and zapped the offender in the stomach.

"Uncle wears polyester blends, not the clothes of the millionaire or the male model!" Uncle retorted.

"What about the clothes of a queen?" Tohru asked. Viper was puzzled by the words but followed his gaze to where the remains of Jade's cloak still waved from one of the robot arms on the assembly line.

Ratso was seeing red; his ninja just didn't seem to be cutting it so he attacked Chan personally. Only to find super strength meant little when you couldn't connect. But he had super speed too – this shouldn't be so hard!

"Ow!" he cried out when Chan ducked his punch, letting Ratso's fist dent a steel girder. While nursing his hand Ratso heard chanting, and Left saw what was happening. The khan had been told to prevent the fool from messing up; that was about to happen, he would not allow it. Already in motion he ran through the intersecting shadows of two catwalks ands broke off a piece from each, already knowing what he wanted. The shadows writhed in his grip before flowing into the shape of twin curved broad swords.

The wizard saw him coming and fired at him. Left crossed his swords before him, catching the blast where the blades met. His hands tingled and ached as the energy ran down the blades through the hilt before dissipating, but he was otherwise unharmed. He tried to weave left around the wizard but the old man moved between him and the chanting woman and sumo. Lifting his swords, he made to strike the old man down, but his blows were caught by the magic infused lizard and fish. Though they were not enough to fully stop a sword, a moments halting was shattered as the wizard stumbled back to avoid the blades slicing through his talisman.

It was delay enough though; green light shot out from his queen's cloak and bathed the warrior who leapt onto the fool, grabbing him by the horns as he braced his feet against his shoulders. Left realized what was going to happen but also knew he couldn't stop it.

Jackie leapt up and over Ratso, not releasing his grip on the horns as he did an almost hand stand before motion and gravity pulled him down. The release of tension and a loud suction sound told him he was successful even before he landed and saw the mask in his hands.

"What just happened?" Ratso asked anyone willing to answer. He was quite disoriented from the experience, grabbing his head with one hand. He looked up and cried out to see Left bearing down on him, brandishing a sword in his right hand. The expected blow never came as he went past Ratso, grabbing his jacket in his free hand. The two, one silent the other screaming, vanished into a shadow. The heroes stood alone and triumphant in the factory.

* * *

Left dumped Ratso on the floor of the hotel room and moved to take his place by Jade's side. The self-proclaimed Queen was busy devouring a platter of barbecue meat while her dog anxiously awaited scraps. After about a minute spent devouring a rib, bones and all, she graced Ratso with her attention. Though she wasn't as intimidating as usual with sauce smeared around her mouth.

"Well it looks like I have to chalk one up to Jackie, since you seem to heave been unmasked," Jade deadpanned. Ratso realized it as well and smiled sheepishly.

"I should punish you for this. But you did stick by me during Valmont's would-be coup, so this time I will forgive your incompetence," Jade announced, waving Ratso off. With a sigh of relief, Ratso got to his feet as the other human members of the Shadow Hand came forward.

"So, what now boss?" Chow asked.

"Back home for now; Jackie will want that mask secured before anything else. I doubt the cards are easy to work so we have time before they go after the next mask, we'll just have to keep an eye on them.

"I have some research of my own to do before I look for the next mask anyway," Jade told them. She thought of the voice in the clouds; she didn't like being ordered around by a stranger – this wasn't Charlie's Angels! If anything this was "super ninja queen" at primetime!

"As for you, get ready for some heavy lifting, I have a mansion that needs to be made worthy of my royal residence," Jade told them before biting another rib in half. Finn cringed at the memory of all those stairs; he just knew she was going to make them carry couches up them.

* * *

As Tohru looked over the cards he smiled. This was real progress; though it was only a means to deny Jade more power he felt in his gut this was a great stride down the path to saving his best friend from the darkness within. It wasn't triumph, but it was victory enough for tonight.

Jackie felt the same way holding the mask. They would have to take it to the Vault; who knew if it could be worn a second time. His thoughts for the future were briefly interrupted as he watched as Viper and Uncle walked off together into the factory.

"Viper," Uncle addressed the thief. She looked over to him with surprise as he sat down next to her.

"I think that may be the first time you actually called me by name," Viper commented, genuinely surprised.

"Hmph, if your parents named you Viper, my father named me Uncle," the old man huffed. Viper grinned, leaning over into his personal space.

"Was that a joke? Better be careful or Satan will be after you for running up his AC bill," Viper smirked.

"Enough foolishness! We need to talk," Uncle declared.

"So talk," Viper started, quite serious now.

"Uncle meant what he said; Tohru is coming far and fast. This journey may well make him a wizard in his own right. But Uncle also has duty to Jade; he can't walk away from that. So if Uncle cannot lead he will follow; changing is hard but it is necessary.

"Uncle does not like you; you are _verrrry_ bad influence on Jade. You are thief who makes your living pilfering from others with no regard for law or decency. But, you are not evil.

"Uncle is old, not as flexible as he used to be, or should be. Ignoring facts and seeing trouble where none is, nothing but bad comes of these things.

"Jade is not so strong as others, but is growing stronger, and is already far more tricky. Will need to think outside of box like Jade does. You can do this, we need your help," Uncle conceded with the usual dramatic inflections.

"Ah, that's almost sweet," Viper cooed, making Uncle scowl again.

"But, once Jade is back to normal you are banned from shop for life!" Uncle declared in his typical anger.

"Wouldn't have it any other way gramps," Viper gave him a wink that only deepened his scowl.

**

* * *

**

AN:

_And done! This chapter was quite hard to write. I blame Viper, she was very difficult for me to figure out. Since she will be playing a major role in this story I knew her intro needed to be done well, and it took talking with Nocturne and Zim to get on the right track to tapping her character. _

_That being said getting this chapter as a whole to a state I liked took some doing. It felt like something was missing, I think the last rewrite fixed that. If you find it lacking please tell me in a review since I strive to improve in my storytelling. I would rather hear a legitimate complaint from you than you just staying quiet to be polite or something when you are unhappy with what I present._

_I hope "When I Grow Up" made the wait a bit more bearable. Speaking of which per my promise to a reader a new P.D.J. story will have its first installment posted before the month is out. I am a bit leery about debuting a new story with so many obligations already but a promise is a promise; hopefully it wiil prove to be a fun and meaningful venture. _

_Next Chapter will take us off the beaten path for a detour, but I assure you it is all according to the twisted plan I call the plot of this story. Till next time, KAHAHAHAHA! _


	6. Interlude I

_Disclaimer: Seasons greetings. Despite the jolly times I still feel the need to say I don't own Jackie Chan Adventures. It belongs to its respective owners; regardless of whether they have been naughty or nice with DVD sales._

Betaed by Zim'sMostLoyalServant

**

* * *

**

Interlude I

What Comes Before

She had fallen asleep while meditating. A strange mistake to make, but he supposed it was something a prodigy would be capable of. Having the power to make the error, while also lacking the experience to make such a mistake.

What mattered was it presented him with an unexpected opportunity. Her astral form slithered up the side of a building; guided by her unconscious, it was roving about with seemingly no purpose. It detected his presence, freezing in place and pressing itself against the building, trying to hide in the frail little shadows. He smiled at the ease of his task and dove into it with an enthused cry.

_It had been some kind of party. She had been very young and didn't know what it was about even then. A formal party at some fancy place, maybe a house – she had thought it was a palace or something at the time. When she had asked her father if it was a palace he told her no and reminded her not to talk nonsense._

_It was a very boring adult party, the kind where the food tastes bad or strange and you wear clothes that feel bad. There was nothing to do but talk or eat what the servers deigned to offer the few children in attendance._

_The other children had been no fun, as the boys didn't want to talk to her and the girls only wanted to talk about stupid stuff. She had tried to recruit someone for fun but they either answered with something like her parents had told her or simply said their parents had told them not to._

_Talking to the grown-ups was out, as her mother had told her not to bother anyone. When asked how she would know if she was, her mother had elaborated by telling her to only speak when spoken to and keep her answers short but not too short. That last part was confusing, but the first part was simple enough._

_Bored and sick of crackers with bad tasting paste on them, she went exploring, a favorite hobby of hers. Even if it wasn't a palace it was a new place, and you never knew what you could find in new places. Her parents had told her no games, but exploring wasn't exactly a game._

_It had been easy enough to slip away from the party; though she was far from the sneakiness that would one day let her always get the drop on Jackie Chan, she was small and ignored then and thus got away with it._

_The search was fruitless at first, the next room from the dining room was open and mostly empty; it would be great for running around in but she was sure that wasn't allowed right now. The next room was where she had hit pay dirt._

_A grand staircase that seemed to have leaped from the screen of a movie she had seen on the teley only days before. Other girls might have imagined a princess descending in her elegant glory before a ball holding the best of the realm. Jade saw the hero of the film, clad in bright colors, a wide hat with a white feather sticking out jauntily; he gives his bow with a grin full of arrogance and mirth as the wicked king orders his guards to charge up the stairs. The hero draws his sword and with a laugh leaps to the guardrails and slides down it to meet the challengers, swatting them aside with each stroke as he speeds past._

_There had been no mention of this, and even if there had been, how often do you get the chance to do what they do? She had ascended the steps as quickly as she could; how people would have been scandalized when in her eagerness to scale the narrow flight she leaned forward to grab the steps in front of her in her eager scurry._

_Jade gained the summit already quivering with excitement at her little adventure. Looking over to the nearest rail it was clear even to her she couldn't jump unto it. But the heroes, even if given pause, always found a way, so she shimmied up the post, kicking off her uncomfy shoes to better climb. Before she knew it she was seated astride the rail, her feet dangling in the air._

_The floor below seemed so far away she felt a wave of fear rise, and then she remembered a laugh full of courage and amusement in the face of danger. It gave her strength to pull herself unto the decline, giving her own laugh as she started to slide._

_It must have been waxed for that shine or something, because the child flew down that railing. She crowed in excitement, fear, and joy for simply doing what she was doing. Then she hit the statue at the bottom of the rail._

_Well it was more of a statuette, and more some kind of fish sculpture than statuette, still struck her solidly between the legs to her chest when she plowed into it. And it hurt, she cried out not caring then for toughness or such in the face of pain._

_They may have heard her earlier joyful shout, but her mother came on her with a group of other adults as she was starting to cry. The woman was not amused as she pulled her daughter from the rail and asked what she was doing._

_She had told her that she was sliding and began to explain about the hero when her mother reminded her that she had been told to behave. As her mother carried her off she looked over her mother's shoulder, seeing her father apologize for her to a pair of old men._

_In the next room her mother had sat down on a fancy couch, flipped up Jade's dress, and spanked her briefly. Now truly crying, she said she was sorry and sniffled as her mother wiped her face and touched her up with some powder from her purse. She was told to behave the rest of the evening, or else it would be more than no supper when they got home._

_Jade was silent through the rest of the party and ate what she was given of the bad tasting expensive food. She went to bed without supper, no one but her the wiser to the bruises down her front._

The intruder was pleased with what he had called forth; this would help motivate her. And he had learned more about the one whose fate had become intertwined in his destiny. He withdrew from her as the dream collapsed, content with the night's work and entertainment.

Jade awoke suddenly but without a jolt. As is often the case with abrupt transitions from waking to sleeping she was for a moment disoriented. Sitting up, she saw clearly through the dark; the sight of Scruffy curled up on the queen-sized bed brought her back to reality. Sighing with relief, she looked down at the blue arm bracing against the mattress and to the dresser where her diadem caught the moonlight beautifully.

A dream of the past… she had forgotten that night. It was far from pleasant; for so long she had tried her hardest to ignore the signs of her parents' true feelings. She made excuses in her head for absences and the small inconsideration that piled up one after another.

It was clear now, but that didn't make it alright. It didn't make her happy. Queen Jade lay back down, knowing she would not find more sleep tonight.

Though within memories of betrayal and pain that held center stage, a brave rogue continued to lurk at the top of the stairs. The spotlight had shifted from the daring defier, but he saw it merely as a set up for an entrance all the more spectacular. He would wait; bustlingly eager for his cue, but granted patience of a sort with an unshakable certainty it would come.

_

* * *

_

Long Ago, Far Away:

The two riders abandoned their mounts at the cliff face, an unnaturally bitter wind spooking the well-trained stallions. Even such fine steeds could never take such terrain in stride. Both were adorned in black armor of the samurai, daisho hanging from their belts. Though, they did lack war masks, having no need for such things.

The leader commanded his companion to remain with the horses – he would continue on alone. The subordinate made to object but caught himself; he had risen to his position by understanding and obeying his master's will above all others. That understanding now told him to not deter his master from his set course.

The climb would have been difficult for most humans. This one traversed it with relative ease adorned in his armor, and soon reached the plateau he sought.

Despite himself the samurai felt dread flow up his spine and a coldness in his stomach, more so than the land below and above, this ground he now stood upon was tainted by the touch of wickedness.

Not surprising, he thought. Narrowing his eyes and letting his hand drift to his pommel, he regarded the sole object on this barren plateau. A crude shack of wood, ancient in its decay, one would expect it to fall any moment in this wind. Save for the fact the wind refused to touch the shack, not so much as lifting the ragged gray cloth that covered the entrance.

He had come too far to hesitate now; without breaking stride he crossed the plateau, tossing the cloth aside.

The wind flowed past him as he stormed in. The candles set in the shack's corner flickered before the wind vanished in the darkness. Despite himself he hesitated, before crossing the threshold and letting the heavy cloth close him off from the outside world.

His eyes could see through the night as clear as day, but this darkness was not born of the night, leaving the cloaked figure hunched in the middle of the shack obscured from his sight. Its cowled head lifted from the depression cut into the earth before it to regard him within the darkness of itself. He placed a hand on top of his sword pommel, the familiar touch calming his nerves. Whatever could be said of him – and much was said by mortal and kami alike – he did not turn from a course he had set to. He met the unseen eyes with his own steely gaze.

At last the cloaked figure moved, sweeping out its arms revealing gray and gnarled hands with fingernails that stretched far only to curl back on themselves. Inclining its head in a gesture of respect it spoke like the first chill whisper of winter.

"Welcome, oh great General Tametomo, once of the clan Minomoto, once Peerless Archer of the Hogen, now Chieftain of the _Buke_ Tribe of Kage's children and Master of the Eastern Gate. What brings one so full of life and power to one so withered and spent?" it asked.

"Wretched One, it is said you were once great and these mountains shook at your fury and crops withered at your pleasure. But ages have passed since your defeat, and now you huddle here waiting for Yomi to claim what Susano left of you.

"Yet it is also said you hold great knowledge, that though you cannot affect it you can see the future, interpret visions," Tametomo declared, the fallen hero's iron returning.

"Ah, you have beheld signs and wish to know their meaning. Yes, my eyes shrivel before the sun but I hold knowledge most ancient behind them. Do you bring payment?" the Wretched One inquired, withdrawing into itself again.

Tametomo nodded and untied a cage about his belt. It was small enough to be held in one hand, its tenant flittering about in renewed panic, casting pale light across the shack. The Wretched One watched with sightless eyes, its darkness untouched by this new light as Tametomo placed it in the depression.

As the captive railed against its bounds, Tametomo held his hand out over the cage and snapped his fingers. A blazing blue spark sprang forth, alighting on the wood and igniting it. As the captive shrieked in the flames he placed his swords aside as he sat in the lotus position, watching his host over the fire.

"It is acceptable; ask what you will and know I speak only the truth," the Wretched One told him.

"I had a vision twelve days past. I have been expelled from the Court of One Thousand Candles for two years for disrespecting the Elders. My retainers and I went to the mountain where my predecessor fell and I meditated there hoping to receive his guidance. While I received nothing meditating, a vision came to me in my sleep.

"I saw the mountain where I laid sleeping and where my predecessor's bones rest. But it was not as it is; the forest that covers the mountain had been cleared and a glorious fortress of the Shadowkhan commanded the summit. There is no such fortress; such a structure goes against tradition and I was expelled for challenging that stricture.

"The shadow of the fortress stretched in all directions, even beyond the horizons. But as its shadow spread three great trees grew in its midst, their branches piercing the towers and their roots unsettling the foundations.

"A great storm came and the trees bloomed into sakuras, and the castle fell from the mountain. I fell along with many others from the mountain into a black river whose current I couldn't escape.

"I was saved from the current by a silken cord, twined one half white one half black. It pulled me toward the bank, but as I drew nearer to shore it became a noose and threatened to choke me even as my feet found solid footing," the Shadowkhan General described. The Wretched One extinguished the blue fire between them with a gesture, leaving silvery smoke hanging in the still air. The smoke was sucked into the darkness beneath his cowl in silence before the ancient evil answered.

"You will be king of your adopted race, and you shall build the fortress whose conception has seen you exiled. You shall strip the mountain of trees and name the fortress Karasu after your mentor.

"Your dreams of conquest will be realized, the spreading of the shadow of your ambition declares it so. Yet as your power grows so shall the strength of those you shall trample in your quest. Their might and your vulnerability shall grow slowly and surely even as you claim greater power. In a single night you and all who follow you shall be undone.

"Yet you will be saved from your downfall by a woman, the silken cord. But her nature shall be of two, not one. One shall be your salvation, yours and your ambitions, and shall pull you to the bank. The other is your true defeat; she will save you only to strangle you on the shore, sacrificed to her ambition as you shall sacrifice so many in your turn.

"Such is your fate, king-to-be. Glory and pity to you for it," the Wretched One proclaimed.

**

* * *

**

Author's Note:

_Sorry I didn't give you a proper chapter! I am currently fixated on getting a new chapter out for my Avatar story before the first. I have been neglecting it these last months and it deserves more than I have been giving._

_Anyway, I decided to be fair with fans of my more popular stories. Two brief updates, one for Queen before Christmas and one for Jewel of Darkness after Christmas, hopefully._

_Before I sign off in case you haven't noticed I am happy to say Project Dark Jade is growing. Nocturne no Kitsune is back and updating. Additionally a new story is under way, A Shadow of the Titans, a crossover with JCA and TT, written by myself and Nocturne no Kitsune in collaboration._

_Whatever holidays you have enjoy them, and best of wishes in the coming year from all of us in Project Dark Jade._

_Kassel out._


	7. Chains of Command

_**Disclaimer:**_** I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures. If I did we would have more of Shadowkhan Jade, Cat Jade, and for the final season, Frog Jade. I find transformations make for good plot and character development.**

**AUTHORS NOTE, PLEASE READ: This story is already AU but here we start to break from the canon patterns more clearly. So don't complain to me about this being out of order as the order of mask appearances is tweaked for the sake of the plot. I know it's off order, I only ask you judge it after reading it if you made it this far.**

**Thank you.**

* * *

Betaed by Zim'sMostLoyalServant

**PDJ Presents:**

**Queen of All Oni**

Chains of Command

_Or_

_Hair Cuts and Scars_

Finn had suggested this old theater to her; she supposed it was appropriate for auditions. The Queen of the Shadowkhan was seated deep on the stage, perched lightly atop an old wood stool, her crown glinting in the stage lights.

Five men were standing a respectful distance before her, ranging from the expected to strange. One was a prim and proper looking Asian man whose wild shoulder length hair was the only thing to set him apart from a young businessman. A tall fellow who she pegged as Italian stood next to him wearing a red jogging suit with a gold medallion hanging from his neck looking bored. Next in line was an old fat man wearing what looked to be a black doctor's coat complete with an old-fashioned house call bag, his face hidden by a black half skull mask. A thin African-American man came next; he wore a green suit whose sleeves had been ripped off to reveal swirling tattoos going down his arms in blue ink, and capped off his strange appearance with a top hat of all things. And lastly, a short paunchy man in business ware with a receding hair line and round glasses.

"Well gentleman congratulations, you all made the cut for my new foreman. References for loyalty and diligence, reputations for success, and even a certain knowledge of magic to sweeten your unsavory appeal.

"But there can only be one, and there is a final requirement I have for you. Working for me means sooner or later going up against skilled fighters. So we decide this the old fashioned way – last man standing from a free-for-all gets the job," Jade announced. Scary doctor raised his hand.

"Yes?" Jade asked, frowning at the interruption.

"It is my preference to seek alternative methods to fisticuffs and the like. As you seem committed to such actions, I believe it would best for me to take my leave now. I wish you the best of luck in your enterprise," he announced. Setting his bag down, he opened it and stepped into it, sinking out of sight before pulling it in on itself with his hands, all of it vanishing with a pop.

Jade blinked at the display along with the other bad guys present, with the exception of the guy with the top hat who seemed amused by the casual display of magic.

"Well, if there are no other withdrawals, I want a good dirty fight, no hold bars, and basically anything goes," Jade announced, and then she gave a double clap, signaling a start.

_Two Minutes Later:_

"Wow," Jade let out. The balding businessman stepped over the battered forms of the other contenders and kneeled before Jade, holding out a piece of paper.

"My card," he stated in a nasally monotone. Jade took the square of stiff paper and frowned, turning it over in her hand.

"There's nothing on it," Jade pointed out. The winner got back to his feet, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"I prefer to keep things simple, you can call me Mr. Blankman," her new foreman minion answered.

_Days Later:_

Finn, Chow, and Ratso stood at the front door to Windsor mansion – or the Palace, as the boss referred to it. The Shadowkhan never took them inside the place, always making them walk the last leg. Ratso had been the one to complain to her, since he had brownie points from the whole Valmont incident.

She had told them to take it up with her ninja, and they had left it at that. They were getting paid and sleeping in a mansion. Considering their luck, pushing it was stupid even by their standards.

So here they were, stepping up to the front door of the creepy house, Finn using the knocker while his cohorts held the bags of loot. The banging had an echoing sound that seemed out of place in the daylight, but then this house was freaky even before the boss moved in. As if on cue to those thoughts, the paneling on the door creaked and rearranged itself into a rough face that glared at the three career criminals.

"Yo Marley man, open sesame," Finn greeted the ghoul. It gave no answer, simply turning back into a normal door and swinging open. The funky spirits had gotten all hot and bothered by the boss coming here, but after her ninja nailed a lot of the floating stuff down she had managed to make the house see reason. Namely, now that she owned the house the ghouls could either obey her, or she would have the house torn down and a taco stand erected in its place.

And seriously, what kind of lame ghost haunts a taco stand?

The place was fancier inside; obviously more lived in than the still run down looking exterior. She had kept most of the old Victorian furniture, but another style of décor was creeping in around it. The Enforcers were no interior decorators, so they labeled the screen hangings, sculptures and mats as Asian Goth. Still, better than a warehouse.

The spooky mood was spoiled by the sound of a vacuum cleaner nearby, one of the Shadowkhan stepping into view working the cleaner.

"More loot for the boss," Chow spoke up. The ninja looked up from its task with what may have been disgust, before pointing towards one of the doors.

"Much obliged, TGIF buddy," Ratso thanked and gave some assurance to the ninja as they followed his directions.

Queen Jade was in the dining room with her new number two guy; they were sharing the table with a boatload of paperwork.

"So you see, these men all have promising backgrounds when it comes to managing a pyramid scheme, but this one while young I think could be the best of the pick in time," Blankman explained to Jade. Business seemed to agree with her as much as school, if her head resting on the table via chin while he droned on about investing her money was any indication.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of the Enforcers; they were a bit creeped out, since her eyes actually did light up.

"Oh, loot!" Jade seized upon the distraction. She floated up out of her chair, only for Blankman to lightly tap her shoulder.

"It will just pile up if you put it off," he told her in that same nasally monotone.

"Well I need to give them their share and show them the awesomeness," Jade justified, slapping his hand away. She gestured for the Enforcers to follow. In the next room, a bunch of televisions had been set up. While Ratso was thrilled to the idea of watching all his favorite programs at once, the other two recognized what they were seeing.

"Yep, we have Uncle's Rare Finds, America's favorite sitcom as an ex-con, a thief, and a long suffering archaeologist share the challenges of everyday life under the roof of a grumpy goat!" Jade proclaimed.

"Aren't there a bunch of spells to stop us from doing that?" Chow asked as he watched Viper sitting at the counter playing solitaire.

"True, we couldn't spy with magic, but good old fashioned wires were planted by hired men acting as customers. We only have the store under watch, but still we can just follow them to the masks now," Jade explained. She left out how she wasn't in a hurry to return to the astral world. First the snake thing, then there was that partially unbound General… she wasn't jumping back into that water till she had an idea how deep it was.

"Why not use us?" Finn asked; it was never a good sign when the boss brought in contractors.

"Because Jackie knows you," Jade rolled her eyes.

"Uh, boss, we got a live one," Ratso reported. Jade knocked him out of the way and watched as the Hana Fuda cards glowed before Viper.

It was game time.

_Somewhere in the Sea of Japan:_

The fisherman watched as the net rose towards his hold. Years of experience made the motions at the controls come second nature, though catching sight of something in the net made him still its progress as the fish laden prize hung over the deck. His eyes widened in recognition of a bizarre face staring out at him.

"Oni. This antique looks quite valuable; this must be my lucky day," the fisherman commented, stepping out from behind the controls he walked to the net and grabbed the mask. Clever hands worked the mask free and he grinned as he brushed slime and bits of seaweed away from the artifact. Immaculate craftsmanship, and perfectly preserved, he would surely not only get a fine reward from a museum but also his name in the paper for the discovery.

"Excuse me sir! That is not a good mask," Jackie Chan called out as he and Viper climbed onto the deck. The fisherman frowned at the intrusion, his free hand drifting to a steel hook he kept hidden on his belt.

"Oh, and who are you to be a judge of antiques?" the suspicious fisherman asked.

"Oh I'm an archeologist, and believe me you do not want to hold onto that Oni mask," Jackie insisted. Viper rolled her eyes; she could already see this guy wasn't going to part with it easily.

And she would be right – hearing Jackie's profession the fisherman guessed he wanted the glory for finding the artifact.

"I'm not handing it over for nothing. I pulled it out of the sea, it is mine by law," the fisherman stated.

"Well, how about ten grand for me to take it off your hands?" a new voice spoke up. Everyone's attention was turned to the opposite railing, where Queen Jade was standing flanked by Left and Right.

"Oni! Here, take _his_ hands!" the fisherman cried, tossing the mask to Jackie before running off.

"Spaz much? I said take it off your hands, not take off your hands. Well, to business then," Jade clapped her hands and ten more Shadowkhan rose from the shadows of the deck. Smiling, Jade pulled a dark colored wand with a lock of hair stapled to it's length from her belt, holding it up for them to see.

"Allow me to introduce you to the chi zapper version 2.0, perfect to send you both to the- Gaah!" Jade's monologue was cut off as an onion smacked into her face. Taking a reflexive step back, she fell off the railing, foam trailing from her eyes, and splashed into the water. The mass of Khan faded back into the shadows. Glancing at the mask held by Jackie, the two remaining Khan nodded to one another and vaulted into the water after Jade.

"What?" Viper asked as Jackie gave her a light glare.

When Jade pulled herself back onto the railing, she spat out a tiny fish which flopped on the deck as Left and Right climbed up and picked her up to place her on the deck. She glared after the retreating speedboat carrying Jackie and the others away.

"Don't think you're getting off that easily," she growled, baring her teeth.

_San Francisco:_

The airport was bustling, as was to be expected. Jackie was tired and jet lagged from the swift departure for the Sea of Japan and their quick return to the States. He was rather used to the feeling by now though, but one didn't really get used to trying to sleep in coach instead of a bed, or even a lumpy couch.

Jackie stepped away from the group with Tohru, as they had been tasked with retrieving their luggage. He readjusted his carry on bag that was hanging from his shoulder as he and the sumo made their way to the luggage retrieval. Viper was wearing a broad white hat and a pair of sunglasses concealing her appearance. Captain Black had agreed to look the other way in light of the whole greater good idea, but he wouldn't be able to do much if the police themselves came down on Viper.

At least Uncle's one-sided feud with the thief had vanished, Jackie reminded himself. He wasn't sure of what kind of understanding the two had reached, but so long as it was working he wasn't about to pry.

Spotting his suitcase rolling towards him on the belt, he reached out and pulled it off and started looking for the others luggage, seeing Tohru had already retrieved his own case. It was ironic Torhu had the smallest amount of luggage of anyone.

"Hey, that's my suitcase bub!" a large man in a fedora objected, grabbing Jackie's suitcase.

"I'm terribly sorry, it's my suitcase. My name is right here," Jackie apologized, pointing to where his name labeled the case. His attention diverted, the man took the opportunity to sucker punch the adventurer in the gut.

"Sucker!" Ratso cried, turning and running into the crowd. Tohru turned with his hands full of luggage at the sound of the commotion and saw Jackie doubled over.

"Alright, Ratso," Finn congratulated his friend as he tore off his fake beard and Chow tossed aside his baseball cap. The two Enforcers stepped out of the crowd, joining Ratso as he tried to force the locked case open.

"The Shadow Hand!" Uncle declared as a circle of Shadowkhan appeared around him and Viper.

"Angry monkey strikes!" Hak Foo called out as he leapt, landing a kick on Tohru's head. The sumo was caught off guard and fell sideways onto the belt, rolling out of sight.

"Beaver topples mighty oak into river," Hak Foo congratulated himself, facing off with the recovered Jackie.

"Should have realized it was too easy," Jackie sighed.

The Enforcers gave a cheer as Ratso finally popped the case open. Chow turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder and saw the fist coming towards his face. Glasses cracked, he went down as his comrades noticed Viper flexing her hand.

"You idiots give thieves a bad name," Viper admonished. Remembering their orders, they skipped the banter and ran as two Shadowkhan stepped out of their shadows, blocking Viper.

Finn and Ratso tore through Jackie's luggage, tossing aside everything inside without a care.

"You had your shot, so this one's mine," Finn reminded Ratso as they kept moving leaving a trail of Jackie's clothing. Next thing they knew the case was empty and Ratso was left holding a pair of red polka dot boxers.

"All yours buddy, and surprisingly fresh scent," Ratso commented, handing his fellow Enforcer the undergarment.

Jackie jumped over the belt, attempting to put some distance between himself and Hak Foo, only for the flame haired warrior to jump in the air after him with a cry of "Angry crow takes flight!"

Reaching down while still flipping through the air, he grabbed a pair of large suitcases. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he tossed the cases at Jackie.

"Woodchuck chucks wood!" he shouted.

Jackie ducked the first bag and quickly back flipped out of the way of the second. He then turned to face Hak Foo with a curious look on his face.

"Where do you come up with these names?" he asked.

"Mongoose pounces on cobra!" was the only reply Jackie got as Hak Foo leapt at him again. As Hak landed and launched himself, Jackie pulled a case off the line, catching the blow meant for his face on it. The fist smashed through, obliterating the case as Jackie backpedaled.

"Sparrow pursues moth!" Hak Foo shouted as Jackie pulled up a larger case with wheels on one end.

"Woodpecker pierces bark!" Hak Foo declared as both his hands pierced the trunk, ripping it in half. Jackie found himself holding a pair of khaki trousers complete with belt.

"Kangaroo kick!" Hak Foo sprang into the air, striking out with a double kick that whistled with force. Jackie bent backwards and came up as Hak Foo landed, jamming the trousers over his heads and tightening the belt, securing it around his shoulders.

"Sorry, got to go!" Jackie told him as Hak Foo screamed in frustration, trying to bring his to get a grip on the obstruction.

"Cavefish strikes blind!" Hak Foo declared, charging towards Jackie's voice and giving a sweeping kick. It knocked the retreating Jackie's foot out from under him, sending him skidding across the floor. He stopped at the feet of a girl in orange wearing a blue baseball cap.

"Hey Jackie," Jade greeted him, pulling off the sunglasses she had been wearing.

"Jade… Jade!" Jackie reacted before recalling the circumstances. Jade kicked him in the face, glancing to the pack he was carrying.

"Right direction, wrong case," Jade muttered. As Jackie recovered, she opened the case and pulled out a blue Oni mask with green eyes. She grinned, feeling the power within tingling beyond what the other masks had possessed.

"Butterfly bursts from cocoon!" Hak Foo bellowed as he ripped the trousers off himself.

"Head's up Hak!" Jade called out, tossing the mask overhand. Hak Foo's face lit up with gleeful anticipation.

"Spider catches fly!" Hak Foo cheered as his hands closed over the mask over his head. The triumph was short lived as an old fashioned trunk swung down on his head. It was being held by Tohru, who had rolled back into the confrontation on the belt.

Jerking under the impact, Hak Foo tossed the mask over his head. Tohru cried out at the mask headed towards his face and slapped it aside. The mask spun away, landing amidst the luggage on the belt.

Tohru sighed in relief as Jade glowered. The Queen snapped her fingers, Left and Right springing up from her shadow.

"Get the mask!" she commanded.

"Tohru, grab mask, don't throw it away!" Uncle admonished as he climbed onto the belt. Left and Right landed on the belt, Right drawing his sword as Left began to toss baggage from the belt in search of the mask. Uncle fired his stun spell at Right, only for the Khan to deflect it with his katana, forcing Uncle to sidestep his own blast.

"Aiyahh, these Shadowkhan are growing stronger!" Uncle cried. Seeing his sensei in danger, Tohru stopped his dance, hefting a pink floral case and throwing it at Right with all the might his awkward footing allowed. Right leapt into the air dodging a chi blast, letting the case sail through the empty space and strike Uncle with enough force to knock the wizard off the belt.

"Sorry sensei!" Tohru called out.

"Tohru, the mask!" Viper yelled. He saw Left straightening up a few paces in front of him, holding the blue mask up.

"I'm open!" Jade called by the downed Hak Foo.

"No you're not!" Jackie corrected, grabbing her in a bear hug.

"Here dude!" Finn called out, running away from Viper. Left prepared to throw the mask to the Enforcer as Right sprang towards the captured Queen. Tohru leapt forward, arms outstretched, tackling the bodyguard Khan. Left threw just as he was hit, sending the mask wide. It rolled along the floor to rest near the awakening Chow.

"Wha? …Sweet!" Chow grinned as he realized what was in front of him. In one motion his free hand scooped up the mask and slammed it onto his face.

"Bad day," Jackie grimaced as the mask fused to Chow's face.

"Not exactly what I had in mind either," Jade admitted, watching as the mask's features and Chow's blended, most notably with Chow's glasses mending and seemingly becoming his new eyes.

"But I'll take it," Jade added, kicking Jackie in the gut with her still free legs. That gave her enough wiggle room to escape his arms and drop into the shadow he was casting before him. The Shadowkhan grabbed her human minions and vanished, with only Right lingering as he made a display of sheathing his katana, glaring at Jackie until the shadows swallowed him.

Tohru got off the belt as airport security finally moved in on the incident. He noticed Viper had made herself scarce, not that he blamed her. It was going to be awhile before he got that nap he was hopping for. Two fingers struck his head, announcing Uncle's return.

"Whose side are you on Tohru? !" Uncle demanded angrily as security surrounded them.

_Windsor Mansion:_

"Just remember buddy, darkness within," Ratso reminded Chow. They stood in a sitting room of the mansion that had been cleared of furniture save for the ornate chair Jade was using as her throne. The Shadow Hand was in attendance, standing around as Chow stood in the center of the room.

"Darkness within," Chow chanted in the deeper tones they were coming to associate with wearing a mask. Holding his hand out, a dark circle slowly grew and with its increasing size a figure arose. Jade whistled appreciatively at the figure before them.

It was the largest Shadowkhan yet; it would tower over most humans, and it was covered entirely in black samurai armor, its hidden eyes turning the eye slit in the helmet crimson. Though the armor likely added some bulk, it looked like it could smash through a brick wall to Jade.

"Pal o mine!" Finn exclaimed, stepping up to give Chow a hearty pat on the back. The Khan reacted to what it may have seen as an attack, drawing a katana and stepping forward to hold its dark point at Finn's throat.

"Whoa now, I come in peace," Finn declared, nervously stepping back.

"You need to work on your control Chow, I wouldn't want to have to find new mask hangers," Jade chuckled. Ratso gave a safe thumbs up to the shortest Enforcer as the shadow samurai returned his blade to its sheath.

"Something you want to say?" Jade turned her attention to another minion. Hak Foo was scowling in the corner watching the proceedings.

"You have yet to fulfill your promise of power," Hak Foo reminded her from where he leaned on the wall.

"Hmm, I have given you two opportunities to acquire a mask. The failure has been as much yours as mine, but I sense there are still plenty of masks," Jade dismissed his complaint with a wave of her hand.

"Heh, I have no interest in watching this fool and his minions. I will return to my dojo, summon me when you have a new task for me, or better yet a mask," the flame haired warrior stated, heading for the door.

"Certainly, wouldn't want you to get rusty," Jade called after him as he closed the door behind him.

"Samurai, pretty impressive buddy, after ninja they're the definition of Japanese badass," Finn commented. The Enforcers were standing together as the samurai went through sword katas, apparently under Chow's direction.

"Who said anything about second?" Chow asked. Jade narrowed her eyes at that and floated up from her throne to stand in the air.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jade stated with a friendly tone that reeked of insincerity.

"Uh, nothing boss," Ratso supplied, stepping in front of Chow. Chow shoved him aside, making eye contact with the Queen, who could see herself reflected in the amber lenses that had merged with the blue mask.

"Mine are bigger than yours," Chow answered simply. Jade frowned at this and snapped her fingers. Left and Right stepped out from her shadow, as Chow went on.

"You know it's true, just look at my tribe's form! It's so mighty. A form, it is mighty, a mighty form..." He began to slur, stumbling and holding his head.

"Chow, buddy?" Finn asked, stepping forward with Ratso. Jade frowned as she felt something tingling in the air. Her eyes shot wide at the sound of breaking glass. Chow's masked face snapped up, and the amber lenses exploded outward with a roar. Jade watched stunned as the mask returned to almost its original form, Chow's features seemingly drowned by the swell of magic she felt pouring from the mask.

Now green eyes snapped open and a mouth of pointy teeth grinned.

"Ikazuki lives! Bow before my mighty form!" he shouted. Receiving only stunned silence he glanced around, seeing Finn and Ratso. Noticing the height difference was not in his favor he hastily inspected Chow's arms and frowned.

"This will not do at all," Ikazuki rumbled.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

"Tohru, one more thing, have you discovered more on Oni from Uncle's new book? !" the chi wizard shrieked from the kitchen. Tohru had offered to prepare the tea – any break from the stack of books Sensei had dumped on him when they returned from the shop.

No one was pleased to have their victory turn to ash, but Uncle seemed to be backsliding after his revelation in Japan. Personally, Tohru thought he was trying to get him back for the suitcase incident. That, and that customs tried to commandeer his spell ingredients after they were arrested. Tohru was brought out of his reverie when two fingers smacked home in the head.

"No day dreaming, you must do research to find more on Oni so we can better understand dark forces hold on Jade! And one more thing-" Uncle began walking away. Tohru was tired, his eyes were sore from reading, he had jet lag, had been interrogated by airport security who pulled up his record until Section 13 bailed him out, and he did not need this. He rose to tell his sensei were he could put "one more thing". Only to stop as someone tugged on his sleeve; he turned to see Viper holding the teapot in one hand and his sleeve in the other.

"Don't let the old goat get to you big guy. He doesn't seem to cope well, besides he is half right, you're the man when it comes to unraveling the mumbo jumbo Jade is wrapped up in," Viper told him. Tohru sighed, letting most of the tension that had boiled up out in the breath. He sat back into the chair behind the book-laden counter rubbing his eyes as Viper filled his teacup. She glanced at the book opened before him.

"So you did find something," Viper commented, recognizing the face illustrated on the page.

"Yes, the mask Chow now wears contains Ikazuki. Considered the mightiest of the Generals, he was a great swordsman, wizard, and a natural leader. He was known to be a loyal vassal of Tarakudo, the King of the Shadowkhan, serving him faithfully despite his own great power," Tohru told her, his expression growing concerned.

"Well this will be interesting," Viper grinned. The large man looked at her, confused.

"Well, this guy is supposed to be very strong, a leader, and very loyal to some ancient evil. Our little Jade may have bitten off more than she can chew," Viper explained her logic.

_Windsor Mansion:_

"Would you care to repeat that?" Jade seethed, her hair kicking up in the ghost wind as her bodyguards tensed.

"I will be taking command of this quest. You have already lost one army and nearly lost my mask to your adversaries as well," Ikazuki stated as he accepted a sheathed sword offered by the Samurai Khan.

"I'm the Queen here!" Jade growled. Ikazuki glanced to her and threw back Chow's head in booming laughter. The remaining two Enforcers edged towards the door; this was not looking good.

"You neophyte, you think overthrowing Kaito makes you royalty? You are the youngest General, a fledgling, and a female; you are the least of commanders.

"I, on the other hand, am recognized by the King as the mightiest in battle, magic, and leadership. You may have a place in the King's plans, but in his absence I command the Shadowkhan. So, General Jade, you may address me as Ikazuki-dono, or simply Taicho," Ikazuki explained.

"Not going to happen you blue bastard!" Jade shrieked, flinging her arms wide. Over a dozen Shadowkhan spread behind her, drawing weapons in tandem with Left and Right.

"Oh, so I must prove my supremacy. Behold my mighty forces!" Ikazuki proclaimed. He struck the floor with the sheathed sword and half a dozen of his samurai rose from the shadows. The forces surged past their respective commanders as battle was joined.

_Shortly:_

"Impossible!" Jade cried out. Left and Right were pinned to the floor by Ikazuki's samurai, and despite always being outnumbered the samurai had prevailed against her forces till she couldn't summon anymore, now with sweat running down her face.

"Hmm, throwing numbers at me and expecting it to carry the day against my strategy… it would seem the King overestimated you," Ikazuki commented, advancing calmly past his samurai.

"Well, I still have a few tricks. Security!" Jade yelled. Then a section of the floorboards exploded into the air as the rugs went flying, forming into a facsimile of a lion with nails for teeth and rugs for a mane. Ikazuki turned his head and growled at the construct, which cringed before disassembling and returning to its former places.

"Ghouls, impressive. But useless, as they will just back down in the presence of something they fear more than their master. And even with this less than mighty form I surpass you by a wide margin. Anything else?" Ikazuki asked, affecting boredom.

"Just this," Jade answered, pulling out her new chi blaster. Her power poured into it and it began to glow with black power… only for the glow to slip into the wand and out of sight.

"Hey, get out of there! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Jade shook the wand before she began to toss it between her hands. Letting it hit the floor, she watched a trail of steam rise off of it as it melted into an off white puddle.

"But, that one was made of wood," Jade protested. She was flatfooted when the chi blast struck her squarely. She flew across the room and bounced off the wall, her crown coming loose and settling beside her on the floor.

Pulling herself up, she saw the possessed Chow standing over her, steam rising from the palm that fired the blast. He reached down and picked up her crown. With infuriating ease, he twisted the silver out of shape and stashed it in a jacket pocket.

"Now then young General, I believe we have established a chain of command," Ikazuki stated as he picked her up by the shoulder and set her on her feet. Glaring daggers, she went down on one knee as his samurai released Left and Right.

_Later:_

Jade found herself sitting in the conference room; she thought it used to be a ballroom or something from the empty floor and large windows that were now mostly covered by black curtains. Light came from a candle-laden chandelier. It was a new view for her, sitting at the right hand chair rather than the head of the table. Chow's possessed body was currently sitting in her chair with two shadow samurai standing a respectful distance behind him. Jade, seated to his right, legs tucked under her, had her bodyguards similarly positioned. The Enforcers sat down from her, looking a bit nervous, Finn glancing to their possessed comrade and Ratso tapping the table. Blankman sat on the left side across from Finn, seemingly unperturbed, removing papers from one of his briefcases and spreading them on the table.

"Hmm, your castle is a bit too barbaric for my taste, it reeks of the savage senseless West. It suits you well enough, but we shall need something more regal for when our King once more is free to lead us," Ikazuki stated. Jade frowned at the dig against her home.

"And how exactly do you plan on freeing the King?" Jade asked. It would make the situation even more difficult if she ended up with two people over her.

"My plan will require another General's mask; as six remain, the odds favor us.

"Our first order of business will be acquiring a mighty form worthy of serving as my vessel. This body is utterly unacceptable," Ikazuki continued.

"You want your mask removed?" Jade asked, stunned at the audacity of such a venture. Still, she was starting to see how something like this could work to her advantage.

"For that you'll need a mask removal spell, and my former kin should possess it," Jade supplied.

"Yes, I have delved into my vessel's memories of your defeats. I know the one who must be vessel, the giant fledgling wizard," Ikazuki answered.

"Big T?" Finn slipped, startled.

"He's mine!" Jade burst out, standing up on the chair. Seeing Ikazuki's stern expression she was reminded of the difference in power and sat back down.

"I have something to settle with him, and I have another warrior who will be a willing host to you," Jade continued, affecting some humility.

"Your vengeance does not concern me in the slightest. His potential is mighty, both as an asset and as a threat to us. He will either become my mighty form or perish on my blade.

"Now you will fetch him and the potion. Take a squad of my samurai, your slaves, and as many of your shinobi as you think necessary. Return with what I require General Jade," Ikazuki ordered. Jade nodded and sank into the chair out of sight; Left and Right similarly stepped over to pull Finn and Ratso into the shadows.

"And who are you?" Ikazuki asked Blankman. The well-dressed man bowed as best he could while sitting.

"Ikazuki-sama, this unworthy mortal has the honor of being steward of your budding empire. I am called Blankman, would you like to review your holdings and assets?" Blankman asked in his usual monotone.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

Jackie and Uncle were minding the shop; as far as Uncle was concerned, there always something that needed minding. Tohru had moved back into the study and Viper was presumably with him. Business had actually been good lately, and normally Uncle would be pleased, but the ongoing crisis allowed little to please him these days. Jackie was reorganizing the shelf displays at Uncle's direction as Uncle went over some paperwork. It was unmistakably busy work for the both of them; Jackie's leave from the museum and Jade's absence left both of them feeling like they were rattling around in the shop.

Jackie in particular at times found himself wondering how he occupied himself without the eternally energetic girl constantly requiring curbing and attention in general.

The melancholy – along with one of the windows – was shattered by a brick. Both Chans looked at the offending piece of masonry lying innocently amidst broken glass on the floorboards in surprise. The moment passed and Uncle shot to his feet, metaphorical storm clouds bursting into life about his head.

"Aiyaa! Uncle will not be tolerating young hooligans!" Uncle declared, stomping across the room to the door. Jackie followed after, already anxious to defuse the coming confrontation; this was what the police were for!

"You think that's funny – AIYAA!" Uncle shouted and then cried as he burst from his shop. The darkened street outside their shop was host to a crowd of Shadowkhan including hulking black armored samurai. It would appear Chow had learned to summon his Shadowkhan.

Jade stood before the assembled warriors of darkness, standing on the pavement still holding the pose of having thrown something. Standing up straight again, the Shadowkhan girl grinned, crossing her arms.

"I thought so; your spells might make it impossible for us magic types to enter, but good old normal stuff just slides on through," Jade smirked.

"Jade, when we save your soul, you are _sooo _grounded!" Uncle bellowed. Jade rolled her eyes while thundering footfalls came from the shop.

"Sensei, I have-oh," Tohru exclaimed before seeing the force outside.

"Your willies are useless! What good is warning after dark forces already knock Uncle's window in?" Uncle chided his apprentice. Viper appeared in the knocked out window and made a tsking sound at Jade.

"Vandalism? If this is supposed to impress us, it's not working kid," Viper chided. Jade narrowed her eyes at the thief and snapped her fingers. Finn and Ratso emerged from the crowd of Shadowkhan holding an unlit Molotov cocktail each. The heroes all gasped at the implied threat except for Viper, who leapt through the broken window landing in a crouch on the street.

"Viper, the Shadowkhan," Tohru warned her.

"She'll burn us out if we just hunker down; clever kid, but a low blow. Cheap, I expected better," Viper condemned. Jade actually looked a little abashed before righting herself.

"I agree; I prefer beating you the old fashioned way, but I'm in urgent need of something you have, so I'm willing to waive standards for the night," Jade told them.

"You have the mask," Jackie reminded her.

"Tch, it's the removal potion I need," Jade rolled her eyes… not that anyone could tell. To say they were surprised would be an understatement. Viper, however, looked Jade over and a mischievous grin split her face.

"Kid, where's your crown?" Viper asked. Jade realized her head was bare of ornaments just as the other heroes noticed the change. Her cheeks turning a darker blue in embarrassment, she pulled up a hood, covering her head, leaving her face framed by bangs visible.

"I knew it, there's a new top demon in the Shadow Hand. How does it feel to be a sidekick again?" Viper inquired mockingly. Jade saw red – redder – and bared her teeth.

"Get her!" Jade roared, setting loose the tide of Shadowkhan. Viper assumed a stance as the Khan rushed forward, the first ninja in line being taken out by Jackie blindsiding him.

As the battle degenerated into a melee, Uncle picked off the Khan as best he could from outside the doorway. But Uncle placed a halting hand on his apprentice's belly as the massive man made to join the fray.

"Stay here Tohru," Uncle commanded. Uncle could see Jade had not moved and the two strongest of her ninja remained by her side with the two Enforcers lurking in the background. And she was watching Tohru with an intensity that threatened to give Uncle the willies.

Wong's words loomed ominously in Uncle's mind. A student has a duty to his sensei, but so does a sensei have a duty to his student.

"But sensei, Jackie and Viper need assistance," Tohru insisted. Sure enough, Jackie had just rolled away from an overhead sword strike that cleaved through a parked car's hood. Viper managed to evade a stab that skewered a ninja instead. In fact, the samurai were cutting down more ninja than the efforts of the archaeologist and the thief!

"Uncle will go. You must remain free with removal spell if Chow appears!" Uncle pulled out some reasoning. Lizard and blowfish in hand, the elderly wizard went out guns blazing, catching two ninja that had been about to pounce on Viper with his stun spell.

Jade frowned at the scene before her. Ikazuki's samurai were being led around by Jackie and Viper and picked off by Uncle. Worse yet, they seemed to be mowing through her ninja with no concern. She could summon more, but the principal of her ninja being cut down by allies was what was brothering her. She glanced to Finn and Ratso; she didn't want to burn the shop, none of the other adversaries had stooped that low and she was trying to prove she was better, not more underhanded.

But as long as Tohru remained under the spell, her ninja couldn't touch him. An old frog metaphor came to mind, and Jade grinned anew, summoning still more Shadowkhan with a snap of her fingers.

"Get him, but don't harm him… much," Jade told the newly minted ninja before siccing them on Uncle.

Jackie ducked another samurai swipe, which instead cut through a lamppost. The steel pole fell and dissolved the samurai with a clang. Viper caught a Ninja Khan under his chin with her foot and rolled her shoulders in the breathing room she just got.

Tohru watched the fight anxiously. Even though he might sit out fights, it was normally to prepare a chi spell or something of the like. He felt ashamed to be twiddling his thumbs in safety as the battle unfolded.

Then he saw it, several Shadowkhan hustling toward sensei. The elder wizard's attention was focused on the fight; even if he noticed the new attack, could he get all of them in time?

Tohru charged out from the shop, firing a volley of good chi into the ranks of darkness with a war cry.

Finn and Ratso would admit to it being an impressive sight, if not for two Khan dashing from the shadows to come in behind him. Left went low, a sweeping kick knocking the sumo wizard's feet out from under him. Right leapt into the air, twisting as he drew his sword.

Tohru landed on his back with a grunt. Right impacted his chest lightly, raising his sword to once again threaten Tohru's throat. Left kicked the blowfish from Tohru's hand as he drew his twin swords.

"We've landed the big one, time to head back," Jade announced. The young General lowered herself into the street, darkness pooling around the spot. The Shadowkhan likewise vanished. Tohru was sinking into the darkness projected by Left and Right.

"Tohru!" Uncle cried out. He lifted his blaster to aid his apprentice but froze as Right moved his sword a hairsbreadth from the apprentice wizard's throat. Uncle grit his teeth as first Tohru and then the two Shadowkhan warriors vanished into the shadows.

Gone.

Uncle fell to his knees as Jackie and Viper ran up to him. Yet again he had failed.

_Windsor Mansion:_

Jade, her captive, and his captors emerged in the basement of her palace. The ghouls had expanded it at her command, and together with her Shadowkhan as workers had converted it utterly from its old shape into a proper dojo. Some people wanted a rec room for a basement; she had something like this in mind instead.

"Where?" Tohru asked, as Right eased back at Jade's unspoken command.

"Welcome to the Shadow Palace, Tohru. This is my dojo," Jade told him, walking up to him.

"You mean _my_ castle," Ikazuki interjected, sliding the door open and walking in. He gestured for Jade's bodyguards to move away from Tohru. After getting an affirming nod from Jade they did so, and Tohru cautiously got to his feet, the willies shaking him as he tried to keep an eye on all four Shadowkhan.

"Hmm, yes, no doubt about it now," Ikazuki grinned atop Chow, pointing a finger at Tohru. Letting out a chant too quick to understand, he fired a bolt of darkness from his finger, which pushed Tohru back against one of the stylized supports and wrapped around it, binding him tight.

"You will be a mighty form, quite worthy for the mighty Ikazuki; you should feel honored," the samurai General stated. Tohru's eyes widened in horrified recognition, recalling Jade's demand for a removal spell.

"Anything but Oni," he whispered, terrified of his face consumed by the dark spirit.

"The removal spell," Ikazuki demanded, holding out his hand towards Jade while remaining focused on Tohru. Jade's eyes widened and she gave a nervous grin, rubbing the back of her head.

"Uh, well, I kind of forgot to grab the potion with all the excitement," Jade admitted. Tohru stopped himself from glancing to his pocket where the vial still rested. Jade's cry – more startled than pained – snapped his attention to her.

The possessed Chow was standing in front of her, still holding the resulting stance from the strike that had his sword outstretched. Two spikes of hair fell to the ground and Jade slapped a hand to the dark blood rising from the shallow cut across her brow.

"You ass!" Jade roared. Her bodyguards leapt to her side as Ikazuki cleaned his blade on Chow's coat.

"I expect my orders to be followed. Better to have the potion without him, now go and claim it or you will see the depth of my discipline," Ikazuki threatened. But Tohru knew there was no potion for Jade to retrieve and appease this demon. The apprentice did what he had to.

"Wait! I have the potion, in my pocket!" Tohru called out. The Shadowkhan looked to him with surprise. Ikazuki nodded to Right, who leapt to Tohru's side and after a moment's rummaging held the vial up between two fingers.

"Hmm, you succeeded in spite of yourself. But why reveal such a secret, young wizard?" Ikazuki asked, walking back up to Tohru and delicately taking the vial from Right. The General seemed to zone out for several seconds before his eyes came into focus again and turned to Jade, who was having a cloth wrapped over her forehead by Left, and grinned.

"She was your comrade, and even now you seek to protect her. Humans with their senseless nobility. I could find it admirable if it weren't so pathetic," Ikazuki chuckled. Despite facing his fear and the nightmare that would soon descend on him, Tohru meet the green eyes.

"Yet humans defeated you once, and it's a human body you need now," Tohru answered shortly. Ikazuki frowned and smacked him in the face with his sheathed sword.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

Viper watched as Uncle pulled a metal box wrapped in chains from a shelf and placed it on the counter. The box just screamed "very powerful, open for bad day". And what was worse, the old man had not said a word since Tohru had been taken. No, what was even worse was Jackie joining in on the ominous silence. Viper did not care for this one bit.

"I get it, Tohru kidnapped is not a good thing. But Dark Jade's still Jade, what's the worse that could happen?" Viper asked, exasperation at the silence coloring her words. Uncle stopped in unlocking the chain and Jackie turned to her looking grim.

"A lot. We learned from Wong that Jade's goal is not the Oni masks themselves; she wants to win against us. It's like one of her games warped into real life. But if Daolon Wong is telling the truth, she resented Tohru for becoming Uncle's apprentice instead of her and that has turned into hatred," Jackie explained. The unspoken conclusion was that if anyone would act on hatred it was someone influenced by the dark forces.

"Hurry up wizard," Viper told Uncle by way of answer. Uncle harrumphed as the box finally flew open and he plucked its contents from within. Jackie and Viper were both surprised at what he was now holding.

"Uncle's fault Tohru has been taken. Had I told him he was singled out he would have been on guard, but Uncle wanted to protect him from painful truth. I failed as a sensei, as I failed in recognizing the shadow threat to Jade's chi. Great risk is needed to correct great wrong," Uncle stated as he considered the vial full of shadows.

_Windsor Mansion:_

"I require a pair of human hands, slaves," Ikazuki announced. He glanced to Finn and Ratso, who were standing by a sulking Jade. The two, realizing what was being asked, did a quick round of rock paper scissors; Finn's rock carried the day.

"Ah man," Ratso whined as Ikazuki poured the potion onto his hands.

"So time for the ole switcheroo. I have to say, Tohru, while I was aiming for payback, this is not what I had in mind," Jade floated over to Tohru. Tohru gave a nervous smile before Jade bared her fangs at him.

"I wanted something more painful," she growled.

"Oh, that reminds me," Ikazuki mused. The General stuck out his finger, which finished gathering purple lightning on its tip just in time for Jade to glance his way and it to arc out and strike her.

"Jade!" Tohru shouted as she went rigid with the energy playing over her. Two samurai stepped into the paths of Left and Right. The energy cut off and Jade blinked, still floating in the air, before scowling.

"Why do you keep hitting me? !" Jade shrieked at Ikazuki.

"And what exactly did I do?" Ikazuki asked, tapping his forehead. Jade frowned and reached up, pulling off the bloodied cloth Left had tied to her head. The open wound was gone, replaced by a pencil line scar dividing her forehead in half with a line of lighter blue she could feel under her finger. Along with her missing bangs, it made that area of her face seem wider.

"You healed me?" Jade asked dumbfounded.

"Random hitting, never a good sign," Ratso whispered to Finn.

"Yeah, and calling us slaves, this guy's gonna suck as a boss," Finn whispered back behind his hand.

"Perhaps, now let's… Something comes," Ikazuki snapped his attention to the vacant half of the basement, where swirling darkness erupted from the tatami mats.

The Shadow Hand was treated to the sight of Jackie, Viper, and Uncle falling up from the darkness writhing on the floor. But the darkness quickly began to wither and gravity reasserted itself, dropping them onto the mat.

"Thanks for laying out the welcome mat," Viper commented as the heroes rushed to their feet.

"Intruders!" Ikazuki exclaimed. Jade nodded sagely, pulling her hood back up.

"This is why I chose the basement – I knew something would happen, and I don't want my stuff getting broken," Jade explained to anyone that cared to listen.

"Tohru is fine," Uncle sighed in relief seeing his bound but unharmed apprentice.

"Aside from being tied up," Jackie pointed out.

"I will end your clan's meddling in the affairs of the Shadowkhan once and for all," Ikazuki stated, stepping forward as a multitude of his samurai began to fill the dojo. Right took a step forward, only to stop as Jade put a small hand on his shoulder. She shook her head, sending a glare to Ikazuki's back.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? Get in there!" Jade ordered the two Enforcers.

"Us? But I've got the magic hands," Ratso protested, holding up the glowing appendages as if she had forgotten. Jade grinned in response.

Jackie was a bit surprised when the samurai receded back into the shadows. He gave a startled cry as the shadows surged along the floor coming up behind him. But what made him stare dumbfounded was when he turned to see all of the samurai facing away from him.

"Jackie Chan," the possessed Chow spoke as he advanced on Jackie, who was now cut off from the others. Jackie realized the mask had changed since the last time he saw Chow wearing it.

"Chow?" Jackie asked.

"That weak minded fool is not here, you have the honor of facing Ikazuki. His memories tell me that you are the bane of dark wizards and the Demon Sorcerers; and your kin have proven formidable as well. I challenge you to single combat, all the better to knock the rust from my blade and claim my mighty form over your dead body," Ikazuki declared. In response, Jackie turned and ran, knocking one of the samurai forward for it to vaporize, revealing Viper coming through the gap.

"What? Get back here so I can destroy you properly!" Ikazuki yelled, drawing his sword and giving chase.

"No thank you, not today!" Jackie called back to the pursuing General.

"Hey Jackie," Jade waved and gave a mean smile as they ran past her. She knelt down and picked up a small piece of shadow that had been wiggling along the floor.

Viper looked around, seeing Uncle holding his own, nimbly dodging the samurai to blast them with his fish. They seemed more concerned with keeping him in place than taking him out, so Viper turned her attention to Jackie, who was being chased by a sword swinging Chow. And the Enforcers, though with much less intensity as they trailed behind the pair. Then she noticed Jade underfoot.

"What's this? Ikazuki tell you to stay out of the fight? The more things change..." Viper left that hanging in the air. Jade glowered from her spot on the floor.

"Shut up, I'm busy," Jade dismissed Viper. The thief shrugged and ran to Tohru's side.

"I'll get you out of here big guy. Or I would, if there was a lock to pick," Viper corrected herself as the chain shifted but refuse to budge under her inspection.

"It's shadow magic, magic must defeat it," Tohru told her.

"Alright, where's the potion?" Viper pressed as she watched Jackie pull a bo staff off a rack only for Ikazuki to cut it off just above his hands.

"Ratso has it on his hands, they… ugh, want me to be the host," Tohru explained, shivering at the thought of an Oni clinging to his face.

"Not going to happen big guy. I'll be back, don't go anywhere," Viper assured him. The Enforcers had stopped their pursuit, either giving up or waiting until the chase brought their quarry to them; likely the first, as they were hardly geniuses.

"Uh, that doesn't seem like a good idea," Ratso commented as Ikazuki sliced part of one the ornate beams as Jackie evaded him around it.

"Hope these things aren't carrying load," Finn agreed. When someone tapped him on the shoulder he reflexively turned, and saw the fist filling his vision before he saw pretty stars.

"What?" Ratso asked as he saw Finn fall. He croaked, eyes bugging as Viper planted her foot in his crotch.

"Unnecessary roughness!" Ratso called foul before toppling.

"What can I say, regardless of what team I play for I'm not that nice of a girl," Viper shrugged. Kneeling down, she touched Ratso's glowing hands and watched as the glow moved to her own hands.

"Cease fleeing and fight! What manner of sacred warrior flees in the face of battle! ?" Ikazuki raged.

"I'm an archaeologist!" Jackie objected as he ducked another strike. Honestly, how was he supposed to fight against an opponent whose weapon cut through anything he grabbed? Well, at the least he was able to kick the demon's feet out from under him now.

Ikazuki was only getting angrier when a glowing onion hit him in the back of the head.

"Hey ugly, you want a fight? Why didn't the onion work?" Viper challenged and then asked, glancing to the beam Tohru was tied behind.

"It didn't? Well, even with the mask they are still human, so I guess the onions don't work like on real Oni?" Tohru offered.

"Non-magical girl here guys, you need to tell me this stuff," Viper complained as Ikazuki turned his wrath on the woman who presumed to strike him from behind.

"I will split your skull and feast on your brains!" Ikazuki roared. Viper backed up against the beam as he charged, seemingly trapped. Uncle gasped, catching sight of the confrontation in the midst of his own battle, and Jackie called out a warning. Viper held her ground, swinging around the beam at the last moment, leaving Ikazuki's blade to cut deep into the beam, and severing the shadow chains holding Tohru.

"Time to join the party big guy," Viper smiled as Tohru stumbled a step before righting himself.

"You have the spell," Torhu stated seeing her glowing hands.

"Of course, now let's tag team that Kurosawa refugee back onto the mantle," Viper offered.

"I think not," Ikazuki said, striking his sword into the floor. A new mass of samurai rose around them, seizing Tohru's arms and another tossing Viper over its shoulder and locking her in place with its armored arm.

"Jackie Chan, you will fight me! Or my samurai will execute your comrades," Ikazuki declared.

Jackie watched Tohru break free from the Khan holding him, dispersing one with a backhanded strike. But more samurai just piled onto him in a tackle, forcing him to the ground. Viper, meanwhile, was kicking her captor to seemingly no effect. Jackie frowned and stepped forward.

"I will fight you," Jackie agreed solemnly. Ikazuki grinned, pulling his sword out of the floor and tossing it to Jackie, which despite a moment of panic the hero caught by the hilt. Ikazuki formed a new sword, from shadows gathering in his hand, and assumed his stance grinning.

Viper was so angry at her plan crashing and burning and focused on kicking the daylights out of her captor she didn't realize she wasn't alone until someone slapped her hands.

It was all Jackie could do to block the furious assault of the demon General. He had some skill with swords, but this wasn't only a swordsman but a famous demon swordsman. Was it odd that two shadow swords clashing would make sparks? Magic seemed to enjoy not making sense to the rational mindset he insisted on maintaining in the face of demons and ninjas.

The errant thoughts must have given some kind of opening, because the next strike by Ikazuki sent Jackie's sword flying. Ikazuki cackled, stepping forward to threaten the unarmed Chan with his shadow steel. The sword itself landed next to Jade, startling her as it was buried up to its hilt in the floor.

"Ikazuki wins! You may have triumphed against the arrogant Demon Sorcerers, outwitted an upstart dark wizard, and been able to beat an arrogant little girl; but you are no match for the glorious might that is – WHAT! ?" Ikazuki's victory speech turned into a cry of rage as a pair of glowing hands grabbed his horns. Jackie was equally surprised to see Finn tugging on the Oni General's head, hands aglow.

"Blah, blah, I have a good thing going here! The last thing we need is another demon jerk riding our asses!" Finn declared. The samurai cast aside or rose from holding their captives, raising their swords to strike down Finn. But with a final indignant roar of fury from Ikazuki the mask came free, sending the Shadowkhan melting back into the darkness.

"Oh yeah! Finn for the win baby!" Finn crowed, striking a disco pose, still holding the mask.

"Uh, thanks," Jackie told the criminal. Enemy or not, this was definitely a situation where some thanks was in order.

"Don't think he's going the way of old Tohru, Jackie, he's just following orders," Jade spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. She was kneeling between Uncle and the rest of the heroes, her bodyguards on either side of her, arms crossed over their chests.

"I'll let you go today for the help in dealing with that jerk. Not to mention helping me figure out a spell," Jade stated, looking pleased with herself.

"Spell?" Uncle asked warily.

"Yours actually, return from whence you came!" Jade commanded. Tendrils of shadow sprang up beneath the heroes as the old portal opened on the tatami mat. Viper, Jackie, and even Tohru with his bulk were pulled in before they could do anything, sent hurtling back to the shop. Uncle, though, blasted through the tendril, freeing himself at the edge of the writhing shadows.

"Nice shooting Tex, but that's all for now," Jade said as Uncle rushed to his feet. Right struck him with an open palm in the chest. Uncle deflected the blow's power but the one step back was enough for him to be sucked in with an "aiyaa!"

Jade watched the spell contract upon itself, the shadows swirling as if down a drain whose plug had been pulled. As if in homage to the metaphor, the darkness sprung up like that last bit of errant water before finally swirling out of the material plane. Jade walked over to the spot it had disappeared into, too tired to hover at this point. Running her hands over the hardwood panel, she sent a pulse of her chi after the spell, disrupting it.

Too late to give her family a bumpier ride, but it would keep them from retracing their steps back here with that spell.

"Wow boss, didn't know you could do that," Finn commented. Jade turned her attention to the Enforcer and saw he was still holding Ikazuki's mask.

"Don't put it on," Jade commanded.

"Tch, as if," Finn dismissed, handing the mask off to Right.

Jade surveyed her dojo; Ikazuki had cut up several beams, and Uncle's magic and the samurai's shadow swords had ripped up the floor and mats. Ratso was still out like a light, and Chow was complaining about his lost glasses; Jade vaguely recalled they were prescription and not just a fashion statement. She made a note of giving him some money for a replacement pair – after all, their loyalty had proven an asset today, much as it pained her to admit it.

Right placed the mask in her hand and Left gave her the twisted remains of her crown. She frowned at the twisted metal, wondering when he got it from Chow. She stashed the ruined jewelry in one of her larger hidden pockets and made her way to the door and the staircase beyond. The others followed her up; Ratso was left on a mat to wake up in his own time.

Blankman was waiting upstairs, hands behind his back and sporting a smile that said very little about how he was feeling.

"Congratulations, I see you have dealt with our samurai problem. Shall we pick up on reviewing the investment portfolio?" Blankman asked, acknowledging and dismissing the day's events. Jade tried to give him her best scowl, and was disappointed when it had no effect on his bland expression. It reminded her a bit of that British soldier she met during the whole Magisters incident. It was less infuriating only because she was tired.

"Get out, anything any of you have to say will keep until morning," Jade declared. The humans took the hint and made themselves scarce. She let the mask fall to the floor idly, not wanting to deal with it for the moment. Jade glanced to Left, who picked her up off her feet and placed her on the over-stuffed Victorian couch in the room. They were fools, but she wasn't about to show weakness in front of them.

"You bring me one of those giant sub sandwiches, no onions. You, the biggest bottle of mountain dew you can find," Jade ordered her bodyguards. They bowed to her and withdrew into the shadow to bring her the requested sustenance.

She didn't know if it was being a Shadowkhan or maintaining and summoning Shadowkhan that had raised her appetite, but right now she had other reasons to binge. Ikazuki had taken her down several pegs; Viper had it right, she had been put back into the sidekick role, and if Ikazuki hadn't been so full of himself she would still be there.

The Reza mask, and the voice she was now guessing to be the Shadowkhan King, had given the impression she was getting some respect. But now she was facing the possibility that she could end up changing human handlers for Shadowkhan handlers.

Pulling off her shoes to get more comfortable on the couch, Jade decided a little Shadowkhan pampering would raise her spirits. She snapped her fingers to summon a ninja. And was answered by nothing.

Jade glanced around, frowning; she had never needed the darkness within bit, calling her ninja was like lifting her hand. Thinking perhaps she was tired she concentrated, visualizing her ninja.

"AH!" Jade croaked as she collapsed on the couch. She wanted to scream as pain flared in her head – she couldn't even think, much less scream. It was only as she tried to blink away the steel wool grating on her mind that she realized she was crying. Thankfully it passed quickly; breathing hard, she propped herself against the back of the couch, the pain receding to a sharp ache on her forehead.

"What the hell?" she asked confused and shamelessly frightened by what had just happened to her. She raised her hand to where the pain was still lingering and found herself tracing the scar that divided her forehead. Her finger stopped in the middle of her forehead, her eyes swerving to where a blue mask lay on the floor.

"You bastard!" Jade spat as she fell off the couch and stumbled/crawled to the mask, grabbing it and forcing her chi into it. Contact was established, and to the best the medium allowed she bellowed her demands.

He was ready with an answer. She would get her army back when he was placed on a new host. He wondered how she thought a General wouldn't plan for treachery from a mutinous subordinate. Then he kicked her out, burning her hands slightly with his own chi taking rare advantage of the contact.

Biting her lip and drawing blood, Jade cradled her hands; the burns weren't bad, but it was just another time today she had been injured, and not even by one of her sworn enemies. No, scratch that – Ikazuki now officially made her list! A pity she couldn't eat him, but she knew that would kill her, as she already had one tribe's power coursing through her.

How dare he take her ninja! More than any injury, that was beyond wrong. They were hers – Tohru had no right to take them, nor Jackie, and especially not an ingrate who bit the hand that freed him!

Angry at the world in general and a few people in particular, Jade pounded the floor with her fists… and was shocked when her fists went straight through the floorboards like they were made of paper, the area around them having even caved from the force. As she pulled her hands out, she wondered idly if the ghouls could fix the damage.

Her hands should be aching from the impact, torn up by splinters and the like, but all she felt was a tingling that was quickly fading. Turning her hands to see her palms, she even saw the burned flesh peeling off, revealing unblemished blue skin beneath.

As stunned amazement passed, a new grin split her face.

This was only a setback… no, a challenge. Ikazuki was right about one thing – she was new to this, and she couldn't just go saying she was in charge and expect the bad boys to hail her. _She_ wouldn't do such a thing, after all. She needed to get stronger, exploding wands and the like couldn't be tolerated. And her ninja deserved a Queen that wasn't helpless without them.

She pulled out her crown and twisted it easily back into the proper shape. It still looked bad, but it was recognizable. She wouldn't be wearing it for a while anyway; it would be a reward for later. Her hood would do for now – first, a conquering General that could either break Ikazuki's curse or pound him until he lifted it. Secondly, a Queen that would be able to send this rumored king toppling off his throne and claim it as her own.

It was a set of challenges, and one thing that hadn't changed was her love of a good challenge.

"Hey boss, did we win?" Ratso asked, stepping up from the basement staircase. Jade looked to him with a frown for interrupting her moment, but she started to laugh after he took a step back in caution. It was not quite a maniacal laugh, but it wasn't peaches and sunshine humor either.

"Not quite Ratso, but I do think things are starting to fall into place. I have more to do than masks," Queen Jade told him as her bodyguards returned with her snack.

_The Next Day:_

The guard walked up to his cell – strange, as it was not a scheduled time for anything. The inmate cracked open his eyes to watch the man with undisguised disgust. Imprisonment was such a humiliation, only slightly more than facing death from natural causes of all things.

Still, he had his revenge, and that let him sleep soundly at night even with the racket of the prison.

"Get up Methuselah, you got a visitor," the guard told him, taking the contempt in practiced stride. The inmate cocked an eyebrow as he slowly got up from his cot and walked through the newly opened bar door.

It was his first time at the visitation room; it was all new to him as he lacked even cursory knowledge of modern prisons before his own stay. After all, he had no one that would want to see him. Taking a seat at the indicated station he was surprised to see who was on the other side of the glass, though he supposed if anyone, this was the person that would seek him out. Picking up the phone he addressed his surprise guest.

"What do you want?" Daolon Wong asked, intrigued by this development.

"Uncle has deal for you evil one. Interested?" Uncle answered, leaning forward as sparks seemed to ignite between the two mages locked stares.

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AN2:

_Well, interesting developments for Jade. Next chapter, a new wrinkle appears in both her quest and the heroes', with a trip to Hokkaido. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and continue to take interest in this tale._

**AN3: PDJ now has a forum! **_Just two threads really; a Q & A thread that has the rules for PDJ posted, and a Story Adoption Thread. I recommend the adoption thread, some good ideas have been sent already that deserve a writers attention. In fact there are some I would be tempted to take a crack at, if I wasn't already occupied with so many stories. _

_Also, was it better without the dividing lines or worse?_

_Lastly a special thanks to Zim for helping me so much with getting the airport fight to finally work._

**Long days and pleasant nights to you all.**

**Kassel out.**

_Please R &R._


	8. Shrine Secrets

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures. How many times do I have to say it?_

**Beta Announcement:** With several of my stories, I am finding points looming where I need scenes of human emotion that are not funny or action based, I guess you could call it dramatic, or fluff maybe? Anyway, in addition to Zim, I need a beta that can help me write this emotional stuff without it sounding stupid. Sad beta would likely only be called on for certain scenes with more given for feedback as convenient to the beta.

Please P.M. me if you are interested in the position or if you have someone to recommend.

Thank you for your time.

_Betaed by Zim'sMostLoyalServant_

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**PDJ Presents:**

"Queen of All Oni"

Chapter VII

**Shrine Secrets**

_or The Path to Knowledge is Paved with Ouch_

The boy was settling down to sleep. His room was fairly standard fair for a boy his age, the odd book far outnumbered by action figures, unsorted clothes, and posters standing beside the shelves that in a few years he would deny ever owning. He was drifting off to sleep when he heard a creaking noise. Sitting up a bit, blinking some of the drowsiness away, he looked around but saw nothing by the light coming in through the street-side window that cast the green walls in a paler shade. Not that he could see that well without the glasses currently resting on his nightstand alongside his trademark hat.

Just as he decided it was nothing, something moved at the edge of his vision. But looking over, the boy saw nothing but a shadow cast on the wall by his bedposts.

"_Drew,_" a voice whispered in the dark. Now he was awake, glancing around with growing worry.

"Who's there?" he asked, trying to sound brave. His hand skimmed the nightstand, finding his hat but failing to grasp the urgently needed glasses. Then the glasses fell on his lap. Swallowing, he looked at them with squinted eyes and turned his head up to face the ceiling. Something dark was clinging to his ceiling, and as he watched a pair of glowing red eyes opened, looking right at him.

"_Dreeew,_" it whispered, drawing his name out. A truck went down the street outside, casting light over the scene, revealing the monster girl, and most of all the light glinted off a mouth full of sharp pointy teeth.

He screamed like a girl as the monster dropped from the ceiling.

X X X

"Alright, monster free," the large man bore little resemblance to his son aside from the shaved head. He got up from the floor where he had shined the flashlight under the bed to satisfy Drew. He looked over to where his son was cowering by the door.

His little man had a doozy of a nightmare, claimed the monster went through his bed. He knew Drew probably wouldn't get back to sleep, but you need to get back on the old horse.

"Alright son, back to bed," Drew's father announced turning the light off.

"But Dad!" Drew objected.

"It was just a nightmare son. I've always told you that fantasy stuff's just nonsense Hollywood keeps doing to make a quick buck. Can't go taking that stuff seriously or you'll end up like that weird girl you used to talk about," the big man said as he walked up to his son, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Drew wondered if it would do any good to tell his dad that for a moment the monster looked like Jade Chan. He decided no, and accepted his father's words of encouragement and lay down in the bed, not sleeping till morning.

_Elsewhere:_

The shack's atmosphere was stifling. The vapors rising from the cauldron, and the smoke from the four incense burners that formed a diamond around it left both wizards tasting an unpleasant sweetness that gave way to bitterness and then sweetness again in a cycle. To a 1-2-3 rhythm, Daolon Wong clapped his hands steadily over his head, an expression of contentment on his sagging face.

The dark wizard sat with his back to the door, and across from him on the other side of the pot Uncle chanted as he ground the ingredients into the catalyst.

Uncle was troubled by the look; even when his fallen rival had seemingly emerged victorious he had never seen the dark chi wizard look so pleased. Perhaps after being stripped of the magic that had dominated his life he was simply pleased to once again be weaving his craft?

No. The truth was Uncle knew from the start the dark wizard would use this as a chance to betray him.

Uncle required answers – Tohru was making strides, but they could not afford to wait. Jade had learned his only shadow spell from observing it only once. And she was dealing with forces beyond her control. The girl was a danger not only to others but also to herself. Research was not enough; Uncle needed to go to the source if they were to take action rather than just chase after Jade.

The source of their problem was the Seal of the Red King, the mark of Tarakudo himself. Uncle had an image and a name, enough to summon with the proper ingredients. He needed Wong to balance the ritual just as Wong had once needed him to unleash the curses of the Three Wise Monkeys. The wizard agreed to help, as Uncle had said he would help because it was an opportunity for treachery.

Daolon Wong opened his mismatched eyes, watching the good chi wizard chant his half of the ritual, delicately selecting the catalyst from the mixing bowl. The wizard was beyond pleased. He was even tempted to lift up a prayer of thanks to the gods he once worshipped, before he aspired to become one of them.

Not only had the good chi wizard broken him out of jail – likely creating chaos for the fool's clan – but now he was going to be in hairsbreadth of a prince of the dark forces. He may not have to settle for revenge after all. Daolon Wong may yet become a Dark Prince in his own right.

Uncle dropped the newly formed medicine ball into the cauldron. They heard it plop into the foul soup, and all was silent as Wong stopped his clapping.

Twin plumes of white and black smoke rose swiftly from the cauldron, intertwining upon themselves forming a spiral. Wong began the summoning chant, the King's name the only word anyone would be able to pick out, as the smoke mixed into gray and became a swirling disk of mist. Uncle began his own chant as the incense turned glowing green and wrapped itself about the gray smoke, forming into a tic-tack-toe grid.

Wong stopped his chanting and gave the malicious grin Uncle was all too familiar with.

"He comes," Wong declared simply. Uncle squinted into the gray portal behind his sealing spell. The risk he was taking was immense; he was uncertain what his honorable master would have said on his actions.

His motivation was sitting across from him, a twisted parody of a child awaiting Father Christmas coming down the chimney. Uncle wondered where Daolon Wong had come from – aside from killing Uncle's master, the dark wizard had left a trail of misery, woe, and darkness in his wake whenever his name came up in Uncle's studies. But where had he begun, how had he begun his journey of life?

Had he been raised in darkness, set down on the road that had led him to this pathetic fate? Perhaps, or had he once been full of promise, a dear student of some forgotten mage seduced to the darkness? Uncle knew he was projecting, but he feared that Jade would reach a similar end, for light by its nature inevitably trumps darkness. No nightmare, however long or horrifying, lasts forever.

She could end like this, alone, her ambition stripping her of everything of meaning until all she could think to do was pursue more of the poison that had led to her ruin.

Jackie may be Jade's father in all but blood and title, Uncle knew it even if they didn't, but Uncle was the patriarch. If the elder by giving up his life can preserve the young, then let it be so, as the old tree falls to shed light on the sapling.

Uncle had left the book where she could use it to make the tattoo, and then he had overlooked the threat of the scar, it was his folly that placed her soul in immortal peril.

If the worse should happen, Tohru and Jackie would carry on in his place.

The Seal of the Red King rose into sight through the gray mist, and with a flash began to bulge, fleshing out into the face it was meant to depict. It was a face of red with black highlights and white hair, the eyes still closed when it began to speak.

"Who summons the King of all – oh, it's only you. So, you only need another wizard to hold your hand to get the spell right, hmm?" Tarakudo commented, opening his eyes to see Wong. He glanced down, considering Wong with a frown before turning to look out the other side of the disk at Uncle.

"You I don't know, but you are clearly more powerful than this wannabe," the King of the Shadowkhan commented.

"Forget about him!" Wong objected. Reaching out, he tore off a piece of the portal's edge, earning the floating head's attention as he muttered a spell. Uncle reached for the fish lying by his side, but his body was engulfed by a cocoon of the gray magic, leaving him to flop on the floor ensnared.

"Clever, using his own magic to get the drop on him," Tarakudo conceded, watching as the door behind Wong slowly swung open.

"Hear me Tarakudo! I, Daolon Wong, will break this seal and free you to wander the Earth once more. In exchange, I would have a pact with you to restore my power and timelessness!" Wong declared, gesturing grandly with swept out arms. The King raised an eyebrow at the theatrics, glancing behind Wong.

"I'm thinking… no," the ancient evil answered.

"What!" Wong exclaimed. Of all obstacles, he had not anticipated intransigence.

"It's just, past failures aside; you don't seem to be in much of a position to aid me. What with an angry sumo about to squash you and everything," Tarakudo explained. Wong just started to rise in reaction to the words when a massive hand swatted him aside like a speeding car. The shack shook with his impact on the wall, as the cocoon ruptured from a green glow within. The gray energy dispersed, revealing Uncle holding an opened vial.

"How did you find us so quickly?" Wong demanded, trying and failing to rise.

"I have been here the whole time," Tohru answered, smiling. Uncle stepped into the fallen wizard's line of vision as the words set in.

"Uncle staged jailbreak with Captain Black's blessing, Uncle knew you had a final ace, and only if you saw a chance to play it would you actually help. Like all dark forces, you assume others are as low as you, trust and teamwork are something you know of but cannot understand," Uncle lectured. Wong just growled in answer as Captain Black stepped in with a pair of agents trailing him.

"My, my, all those years without so much as a letter, and now all these visitors in one day. Never realized I was so popular," the King put in, reminding everyone of his presence.

"Uh, is that?" Black asked, keeping a wary eye on the floating head behind the green grid.

"King of Shadowkhan has been summoned and contained, remove dark wizard," Uncle answered and commanded. The agents pulled Wong to his feet, cuffing him; the dark wizard gave the two chi wizards and the floating head venomous glares before being led out. Captain Black hesitated at the doorway before finally going too, closing the door behind him.

"Pffh, dark wizards – all talk and always falling short when it comes to actually getting the job done. Why do the talented human wizards that are actually good with magic always going good? Or did I just answer my own question?" Tarakudo wondered aloud.

"It is we who have questions to be answered," Uncle stated, turning his attention to the portal.

"Well, my schedule is a bit thin at the moment, so I suppose I can squeeze you in," Tarakudo shot back. He looked over to Tohru and cocked a snowy eyebrow.

"I see Ikazuki wasn't exaggerating, for once," Tarakudo commented, and Tohru felt the biggest willy yet run down his spine, but stepped forward to stand by his sensei before the Oni King.

"Are you controlling Jade?" Uncle demanded.

"No, the seal bestows power, not command. I didn't think much of her the first time, was actually a bit insulted to have a child commanding one of the tribes. But now that she's sobered up… well, she actually reminds me of a younger me, wanting to prove herself. And not by gaining the approval of others mind you, rather by achieving such heights as to make her superiority self-evident.

"It's quite nostalgic actually, and I would not want to stifle such potential with mind control," Tarakudo admitted.

"Your Generals seem to be hostile to her," Tohru pointed out angrily, recalling Ikazuki cutting Jade.

"Kaito was an idiot, and if not for the dishonor of killing an ally I would have ended him long ago. As for Ikazuki, he followed my instructions of taking her under wing, and simply misinterpreted, perhaps," Tarakudo answered, looking a bit put out on the last part. It really would have been so much easier if he could take a heads on approach to the events unfolding, he thought yet again.

"How can we return Jade to normal?" Tohru demanded. He took a step back as the floating head grew larger, drawing to the edge of the portal and glaring at him through the chi bars.

"And why would I tell you something like that?

"I may have been summoned, but now that I am here I am no more compelled than when that washout summoned her from a soup pot.

"Besides, similarities aside, she is an object of some interest to me. Obviously, I have replaced my worst General with promising talent. But even by our standards, it has been a long time since there were female Shadowkhan; I should know, as I killed the last of them. I think that would be number four on my top ten list.

"But she's so young, so full of life, cunning, and… I don't how to describe it. Far removed from those wretched hags thinking they could tell me what to do. Hmm, yes, maybe a century or so and she could make a fine Queen... consort," Tarakudo mused, looking pleased with his thoughts. An onion smacked into the bars, dissolving in the chi.

"Aiyyaa!" Uncle growled. Tohru, looking livid, was still poised from the toss.

"Was that an onion? Sheesh, I said a hundred years or so, I do have standards," Tarakudo groused, genuinely offended at the perceived implication.

"Will you be helping us or not? !" Uncle demanded.

"Actually, I think I will," Tarakudo remarked, shrinking back into the portal.

"What is lacking is knowledge, and it so happens I know of where it can be obtained," Tarakudo stated. The mist next to him flowed and color shifted into a map; Tohru was shocked to recognize the shape.

"On Ezo there is a hidden shrine, thrice consecrated. The last stronghold of the order descended from master to student from the Shadowbinder Sage who created the masks that imprisoned my Generals and whose students sealed me in the Shadow Realm. Though the branch that created the Hana Fuda cards has become extinct, this branch of the order still lives and they keep an artifact that is invaluable to anyone who would understand my race.

"It can only be found by those who already know where it is, which now includes you two," Tarakudo grinned as a marker appeared on the map, showing the shrine in a mountainous region.

"Why would you tell us this?" Uncle inquired wearily as Tohru committed the map to memory, and took a picture of it with a camera he brought.

"Perhaps despite my amusement with this queen, I worry that like me she will aspire to take the throne rather than kneel before it? Thus, your defeating her would make my inevitable return to the mortal plane much safer.

"Or perhaps my admiration is sincere, and I am leading you into peril to aid her.

"But you wouldn't be standing before me if you had options. So run along, little heroes caught up in ancient tides of power, follow my trail of breadcrumbs into the shadows of the trees.

"But first..." Tarakudo trailed off. Tohru glanced over to the now silent head as Uncle shifted his grip on his fish. Tarakudo roared and the air seemed to ripple as the shack shook and the door was sent hurtling from its frame.

Despite feeling his teeth rattling in his head, Tohru only retreated a few steps in the onslaught. Opening his eyes against the fell wind of Tarakudo's will, he saw the head hurl itself against the chi bars, bending them before him even as blue smoke rose from where he touched them.

It had all been a horrible mistake, the banter was just delaying and now the King of all Oni was going to break free! The Oni was going to eat his brain!

A stream of green chi shot out from his peripheral vision, striking the grid, halting it as Tarakudo pushed it back nearly clear from the portal.

No, Tohru thought, turning back to his old nightmare standing before him. He wasn't a child cowering afraid of the dark. He was a warrior that had committed himself to redeeming the honor he had traded for empty glory, and a wizard dedicated to protecting everyone, good or bad, from forces beyond their grasp.

Clapping his hands together, cutting through the wind for a moment with the force and sound, he began to chant, adding his words to Uncle's and boosting the spell, forcing the evil back from whence it came.

Back into the portal Tarakudo backed off, spitting to the side as smoke obscured much of his face.

"Drat, I was hoping that would work. Ikazuki should have just taken the flame haired warrior and been done with it," Tarakudo cursed.

"Goodbye," Uncle declared, capping off the cauldron. As the portal began to shrink, the smoke cleared, showing Tarakudo uninjured.

"Fine, fine, I won't be taking center stage yet. But what's the hurry with such a fine player making her mark out there? I'll watch for now, poke things along as I can. It's all good fun.

"But you lot are nothing compared to those who came before, who simply use the tools and safety nets left behind by the giants who could actually stand against the zenith of night and call the sun up from the horizon.

"Goodbye for now, be seeing you soon," Tarakudo warned amiably as the portal closed, his right eye the last they saw of him.

As the air cleared and Uncle set about cleaning up the ritual, Tohru felt cold.

_Morning:_

It was the same theater they used for auditions the other day, still as rundown as ever. Though rather than auditioning, she and Blankman had come to collect a special item she had ordered. In keeping with déjà vu, the craftsman they had commissioned was the top hat wearing green clad man from the auditions. He seemed to have recovered from the beating Blankman had handed out and was smiling as Jade inspected the merchandise.

Running her index fingers along the arcane symbols inscribed in the metal, Jade felt her hand going numb. Frowning, she pulled it back and shook the feeling back into it as the man grinned.

"Careful now little princess, you ask for magics fit to contain a shadow, and Monsieur Verde always follows the letter of his contract," Monsieur Verde stated. His accent was an exotic mix of deep Southern American, Cajun, and with generous helpings of Spanish. Like his appearance, it was a bit strange, but seemed to fit nicely.

"Yes, but words can be twisted, always best to tie things down in writing," Blankman interjected off to the side. Verde deflated some, eyeing the shorter man warily as Jade opened up the dog carrier to look inside.

She wondered if he had actually made the metal dog carrier or if you could buy these things? Maybe it was old, like old metal lunch boxes? Sticking her hand inside she felt that same numbness start to seep in. Hearing someone step up behind her, she quickly drew her arm back and closed the portable cage. Turning, she saw Verde giving her a measuring look with his dark eyes, rubbing his chin with his left hand.

"So this will hold shadows?" Jade inquired, rising into the air to regard him at eye level.

"Maybe, I admit I don't know much about the kind of shadows you deal in. Still, a shadow's a shadow; even if there are differences, just as all men bleed if you cut 'em, I'd think these spells would have at least some bite.

"So it may not keep 'em in the can, but they'll have a time busting out," Verde conceded.

"Well, at least you're honest. Pay the man Blankman," Jade called to her foreman, turning away. Verde drew her attention back by extending his right hand; she could swear there were shapes in the tattooed swirls that decorated the arm.

"Say we seal the deal in a shake?" he proposed. Jade cocked an eyebrow and held out her own hand only for a pale hand to grab the brown one before the blue could. Despite the demo last time, Blankman's speed was surprising to both of them.

"Deal," Blankman declared, meeting Verde's startled look with a steely gaze. Jade turned away, letting the evil accountant do his job. She stopped, hearing a crack and a pop.

"What was that?" Jade asked, stopping in the air. Blankman released the dark wizard's hand, letting Verde fall to his knees, cradling his hand and biting his lips while the tattoos on his arms danced wildly.

"Oh, just a rodent getting into something, our business here is done," Blankman answered her. He put a thick envelope on the floor next to Verde before picking up the carrier by the handle and following Jade out. Verde tried to glare holes into the back of Blankman's suit as he could do nothing but watch the pudgy man walk away.

_Somewhere on Hokkaido:_

The coniferous canopy shook as Viper climbed to the top of the tree. She was dressed warmer than normal, with a dark red jacket and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. With her free hand, she pulled the binoculars that hung from her neck up to her eyes, scanning the picturesque scenery of the Japanese wilderness.

"Thief! What do you see! ?" Uncle called up from the base of the tree where he stood in his jacket, looking at an unfolded map.

"Trees and mountains, same as the last dozen trees you made me climb!" Viper called back down.

"Do not make Uncle come up there!" Uncle shook his fist at the canopy.

"I'd like to see you try!" Viper called back playfully. Uncle humphed and folded up his map, pulling out another. He glanced up, his scowl in its usual place, as Jackie and Tohru walked up, burdened by heavy packs.

"Uncle, are we close to the shrine?" Jackie asked wearily. Uncle hit him over the head with his patented smack.

"Shrine nowhere in sight, it is secret shrine! You expect sign saying three miles to shrine with rest stop! ?" Uncle demanded. The wizard whirled on Tohru, who was trying to take off his ridiculously large pack.

"Aiyaa! Tohru, this is no time to unpack, we must keep searching while we have daylight, you two are slowing us down enough already!" Uncle shouted.

"Stop harassing the pack mules billy goat, if they give out we'll have to carry the bags," Viper called out before dropping from the trees.

"Why do we have to carry your luggage?" Jackie asked Viper. With Uncle, even asking would be pointless.

"Firstly, as the scout I need to be nimble and quick, and secondly, it's polite for a man to carry a lady's luggage," Viper answered, patting Jackie's cheek.

"Enough talking! Assuming floating head did not lie, we are close to shrine that may hold answers to the Shadowkhan, and a means to saving Jade. The dark forces are never idle, who knows what Jade may be dong while we are in the middle of nowhere," Uncle reminded them.

Meanwhile, the conversation in the shadow of the grove was watched from afar as Right observed them through a spyglass.

_Not Far:_

Jade stood atop a rock outcropping. Her usual cloak had been traded for one with a black fur trim that framed her face on the hood's rim. Left stood beside her, arms crossed, the hilts of his swords visible over his shoulders. Jade closed her eyes and breathed the mountain air deeply, letting the air out slowly.

She could feel a power in the air. Not like a mask, but familiar, stirring the memories she had stolen from Kaito, but not enough to draw the appropriate ones forth. It was tempting to shed her body and search the astral realm, but until she could fight there, she wasn't prepared to go snake outside the warded border of her palace.

She opened her eyes feeling Left shift; Hak Foo had returned.

"Anything?" the Queen of Shinobi asked.

"Nothing but wilderness and Chan's trail. When we find this mask it will be mine," Hak Foo stated. Jade frowned at that declaration.

"You know I have plans for that mask," Jade reminded him.

"Bah, I will not be a puppet like that weakling Chow," Hak Foo dismissed her concern. Jade let it slide; arguing with him would be pointless, and she would just have to insure the outcome. The Enforcers finally reached her position, panting under the loads they carried on their packs.

"Well you guys may as well take a break, looks like we have to wait for Jackie to set things in motion," Jade told them from her perch. They gratefully collapsed, before freeing themselves from their luggage and pulling out canteens.

"Why do we have to carry everything?" Finn demanded, trying to sit comfortably on the stone littered soil.

"Because royalty never carry their own bags, and by extension my _yojimbo_ save their dignity. And Hak Foo said no," Jade answered honestly. Left handed her a thermos from which she poured still steaming coco into the lid/cup.

Sipping it, she couldn't help but feel a combination of anticipation and dread. Whatever power rested in these mountains, it was going to be a challenge even without Jackie's meddling, she could sense conflict on the horizon.

_Sunset:_

The mood was unpleasant as the Chans began to set up camp. Uncle was clearly frustrated, going over the maps yet again as Jackie and Tohru set up camp. Viper snatched the map out of his hands, earning her a glare as she folded it up.

They were camping in a glen that occupied a rise looking over a wooded valley; the view as the sun was beginning to set behind the mountains was quite enchanting. Though, Tohru was the only one to notice it in their group.

"You need to lighten up; the shrine's not going anywhere. And don't give the "dark forces rising" speech, we were there, we know," Viper stated. Uncle was tempted to give her his trademarked smack, but in the past the thief had been able to dodge it and he didn't want to lose his reputation.

Tohru and Jackie watched the argument, stopping their tasks; was there a heat wave behind Uncle?

"Aiyaa, shrine is hidden and has remained hidden for ages! You think we will just stumble upon it? We must be diligent and thorough if we are to unearth ancient magic!" Uncle declared. Viper stopped paying attention as the cliff behind him extended outward and an impressive building rippled into sight.

A large clay brick wall ran around the perimeter of the shrine. A big wooden gate dominated the wall facing them, the red painted barrier flung wide, letting them view what lay beyond.

One half of the area inside the wall, the one closest to them, was covered by patches of vegetables – obviously a garden – except for a section penned off from the rest by a small wooden fence. Inside the pen was what appeared to be a small herd of sheep; clearly, the people living here made sure that they didn't ever need to leave for food.

The other half of the enwalled area was a courtyard, surrounded by four simply built one-story buildings. And in the center was a small hill, topped by another building that looked more like a traditional shrine. More than likely, that was where whatever magic the shrine was built to protect was stored.

While Tohru, Viper and Jackie were staring at the sight in varying degrees of amazement, Uncle was continuing to ramble.

"And one more thing-" he said, only to cut himself off when he noticed the looks on their faces.

"What are you looking at instead of listening to Uncle?" he asked, annoyed. Tohru responded by quietly lifting a hand and pointing behind Uncle. The elderly chi wizard turned his head to glance over his shoulder, his irritated look dissolving into one of surprise.

"Aiyaa!" Uncle cried.

_Nearby:_

Jade was tapping a finger against her chin, considering the fire pit Left had prepared as the Enforcers started to shiver behind her. On the one hand, fire was very good in these situations; on the other hand, the smoke would give away their presence to Jackie.

Right leaping from the branches above her to land at her side caused her to cease her tapping and turn to face him. The hood cast much of her face in darkness, leaving her eyes to glow like embers in the shadow. Right was not at all off put by the sight, finding it quite appropriate.

"We got action?" Jade asked curiously. Right nodded, prompting Left to draw his blades, awaiting orders as Jade grinned.

Forget the fire; there was no need to sneak around now.

X X X

The heroes made their way across the shrine grounds, treading on the cobble path that divided the garden in two and connected the courtyard to the gate.

No one spoke as they glanced around at the generally mundane surroundings. Jackie and Viper thought that it seemed pretty normal, if not a tad medieval. Uncle and Tohru were more on edge; they could feel powers pulsing calmly through the land and atmosphere. Tohru wondered again what Tarakudo had meant by thrice consecrated, as this was neither comforting like good magic or the wariness evil's presence brought.

Stepping off the path, they stood in front of one of the courtyard buildings, a mostly open-air storage building it would seem.

"Why did you leave the gate open?" a voice called out. Their attention snapped up and they noticed two men had appeared on the roof of the storage building. Uncle narrowed his eyes in suspicion while the others wondered where they had sprung up from.

Both had shaved heads, robes, and were clearly of Asian descent, but the resemblances ended there. To the left stood a man in black robes, his face lined but hard with thin black eyebrows over narrowed piercing eyes. His stance was narrow, his shoulders broad, and his arms were crossed as he looked down on them.

His companion was attired in gray, his shirt open to flap in the breeze, displaying a very toned torso while his wrinkled face declared his advanced age. This one's eyebrows were gray and the cocky grin on his face seemed to fit with the twinkle in his eyes. The gray monk's hands rested on his waist as he stood easily, watching the heroes below.

"We were expecting guests, so why not invite them in with open doors?" Gray answered Black, not taking his eyes off the arrivals.

"What's the point of having gates if we open them whenever someone comes along?" Black demanded, turning a deepened frown on his fellow monk.

"Doors are meant to be open," Gray answered, shrugging.

"No, they are meant to be closed. Why bother making an obstruction to the passage if you only intend to remove it? Why not just leave the doorway empty? The presence of a door logically implies selectivity on who passes," Black asserted.

"So it would appear, but you fail to consider-" Gray answered, turning to face Black, when Viper cleared her throat.

"Look, you two seem busy, but could you maybe answer some questions for us? We've come quite a ways to get here you know," Viper stated.

"Ah, but of course, you've come for the Teachings," Gray turned back to them. His tone was a bit apologetic, as if embarrassed by his behavior. Black, on the other hand, seemed unmoved.

"Teachings?" Jackie asked.

"Don't play coy, no one can find us by accident. People only come for two reasons, to assume a vacant spot in our order, or to take possession of the Teachings," Black declared ominously.

"And if they didn't know you just told them. What part of the word secret evades your comprehension?" Black barked that part at Gray.

"And since the three of us are in good health, that can only mean this evening holds a fine fight," Gray chimed in, ignoring the jab.

"Wait! We do not-" Tohru objected, waving his large hands for emphasis. He stopped as his sensei stepped forward, fixing a glare on the black robed monk.

"There is darkness in you," Uncle accused the monk without bothering to point.

"Well of course, that is Brother Dark's purpose after a fashion," Gray pointed out as if it was obvious.

"Where as you have no purpose, indecisive fence sitter," Brother Dark shot back.

"So cruel! When it comes to the big questions I decisively answer, 'maybe'. But, what ho? We seem to have still more guests, and nonhumans. Truly an interesting evening," Gray laughed, looking to the gate. The heroes turned about, already knowing what they would see.

The Shadow Hand walked through the gate, taking in the surroundings, while Hak Foo and the two Shadowkhan focused on the heroes. Jade grinned in the twilight, looking at the shrine framed in her line of sight by the two monks. Reaching into her robes, she pulled out a thorny wand with metal wire wrapped around it, securing her hair to the wood, and tapped her left palm with it.

"Well, what have we here?" Jade asked, the air shifting her gaze from the shrine that beckoned her to the two strangers.

"That's my line," Gray objected, pouting a little.

"So, they finally come to reclaim it. It would seem our brother saw true," Brother Dark remarked, studying the three Shadowkhan walking down the path. Reaching to his belt, he pulled out a set of nunchaku and started to lazily twirl them at his side.

"Doesn't he always?" Gray asked. Reaching behind his back, he pulled out a gray Bo staff that was clearly too long to have been concealed by his frame. Without further prompting, the two leapt into the air, Gray landing gently before the heroes while Dark defied gravity, leaping over them to land mere centimeters in front of Jade, who frowned, pointing her chi zapper at him.

"We are the sages of this shrine, the Brothers of the Three Shades. We have stirred ourselves in opposition to unworthies that would seek the object our predecessors' passed down from times long past," Gray declared with newfound solemness.

"Tch, well that's no good for my cause," Jade dismissed, sending power into her zapper… only for nothing to happen. She glared incredulously at the wand; even the failures did something, what was with the failure to engage?

Dark stepped forward and hit her over the head with a strike from his nunchucks. He leapt back from Left's twin over head strike, which split the cobbles he had been standing on. Tightening his nunchucks, he caught Right's blade on the chain before forcing him back and driving a knee into the Khan's crotch.

As Right went down wide eyed, Dark turned his attention to Jade, who had pulled back her hood to better rub her smarting head. Her scar stood out clearly in the sunset light, making Dark raise an eyebrow before he answered her unasked question.

"This ground is thrice consecrated, each of us maintaining it. Magic, good, bad, and in between, has no grip here," Dark declared. Jade scowled, tossing her zapper aside into a vegetable patch.

"Heh, fine, but it will take more than a couple of old men to stop me," Jade declared.

"Tiger charges dark panther!" Hak Foo declared as he charged past Jade and Left towards his nunchuck-swinging foe.

"Uncle, what should we do?" Jackie asked. Watching the top three Shadow Hand fighters do battle with Brother Dark was quite the sight. Even though the monk was falling back through the vegetable patch, he was not being dominated. Unlike the Hana Fuda cards, it would seem this artifact was well protected.

"I think we should – OWW!" Tohru began, and cried out when his head was struck. They turned their backs on the fight and saw Gray twirling the staff over his head expertly with one hand.

"Don't forget about me now. I'm as much a guardian as he is, I'm just more fun," Gray chided. He struck out with stunning speed; Viper caught the blow on her forearm, but winced at the power.

"Wait, we don't want to steal the Teachings, we want it kept safe!" Jackie pleaded. He ducked a thrust meant for his chest.

"Then you should not have come here. Now, on your guard, or we'll toss the lot of you off the mountain," Gray smiled pleasantly.

Uncle stood his ground as Grey made to strike him over the head, stepping back at the last moment and kicking down on the staff that had cracked the cobbles. It didn't break under the impact, and with a jerk, he sent Uncle stumbling back, off balance. Rather than pressing any advantage, Gray took a stance, holding his staff low and smiling.

"Good, so you aren't just a wizard, I love versatility. Variety _is_ the spice of life, I don't care what those bland purists say," Gray laughed. He watched as Tohru stepped up to the fight, looking determined if not vicious.

"Well now, aren't you quite the sight. Let's see how much of that power I sense in you can be drawn out today," Gray declared.

_Meanwhile_:

Jade trailed after the fight between her fighters and the black-garbed monk. They had driven him into the courtyard finally; she vaguely noticed the cobbles were different shades in some kind of pattern. But she was far more interested in getting back at the monk who had struck her.

Right leapt back from the heated battle just as Hak Foo managed to grab a nunchuck handle and punch the monk in the chest.

"You should seize the prize while they are occupied," Right told her. Jade scowled at the suggestion.

"But I want to try my super..." Jade's retort trailed off as she stared at her bodyguard.

"Since when do you talk?" Jade inquired mutely.

"Since now, it would seem," Right answered in a distant echoing voice.

"Kay, well, I'll try that," Jade agreed, wanting to move away from the weirdness.

"Hah, I knew it! Pay up!" Finn crowed as the other Enforcers pulled out their wallets.

Jade made her way across the courtyard at a brisk walk, towards the wooden stair embedded in the hill leading up to the shrine. Looking up, she could feel something pulling at her, but not calling, like the masks. The Shinobi Queen frowned before grinning; she had a feeling some answers were at hand.

X X X

The fight revolving around Gray moved around the other end of the barn into the courtyard. Uncle, after ordering them to keep the monk busy, had walked off to find answers he claimed. Gray, having taken exception to the idea, was being kept from pursuit by the remaining heroes. Viper, stepping back for a breather as Tohru managed to get a bear hug on the staff-twirling monk, saw something that caught her interest.

Namely, the sight of a small figure in black running up the stairs to the shrine on top of the hill.

"Sorry guys, duty calls," Viper apologized. Jackie, who was trying to calm the monk, glanced in her direction and was hit in the face by Gray's sandaled foot.

X X X

Jade parted the white curtain that covered the entrance to the shrine. It was what she had expected; bare wooden panels with traditional walls and well crafted but hardly ornate support columns. She frowned, noting it was well lit despite the lack of windows and light fixtures. She dismissed it with the thought a wizard did it, and turned her attention to the center of the shrine. Three more columns framed an upraised section of the floor, each painted black, white, and gray respectively.

Her view of what rested on it was blocked by a tiny man sitting facing away from her. Wearing white robes and a cleanly shaved head.

X X X

"Jade has entered your shrine, why don't you go after her! ?" Jackie protested as he used a garden hoe to fend off Gray. Their weapons locking, Gray smiled at the question; Jackie was nervous, as he was quickly discovering this man's smiles meant merriment only for himself.

"Young man, didn't you hear this ground is 'thrice' consecrated? Brother Light is up there, and neither Brother Dark nor I have ever bested him in a spar. Worry about your Jade," Gray answered. Jackie did indeed worry and began to counterattack in earnest, much to his foe's all too apparent delight.

X X X

Jade was wondering if there was a third monk around. A white monk fit the theme they seemed to have going. Glancing to the doorframe, she struck out with her left hand and it crumpled and snapped under the impact. Her super strength apparently wasn't cut off by that consecration the black monk was talking about. So this should be no problem, she decided.

"Thank you, that needed replacing, and now it will be no trouble to gain my brothers' agreement on the matter," the white monk answered. Jade paused at the words, but walked into the shrine, the boards creaking lightly at her advance.

"You have a Shadowkhan artifact there?" Jade asked. Not only did Kaito's memories drift up, but her blood sang that something of her new race's was near.

"Yes, the Teachings of Eternal Shadow, Part 1. An arcanum of both shadow magic and the higher abilities that race can obtain," White answered. Jade stepped up beside him and saw a stone tablet as tall as he was and at least two centimeters thick resting on the upraised wood.

She purred at the revelation of what was now in her grasp.

"You seem pleased," White observed fondly. He had never heard of them purring, but then again it was surprising the details epics could overlook.

"I am, I'll be taking your rock," Jade declared, reaching for the stone. She saw his hand touch her outstretched wrist and then she was flying.

X X X

Viper reached the top of the steps, only for something to tear through the curtain and hit her in the chest. Thief and Queen both tumbled down the steps to the bottom of the hill.

The two landed in a heap at the bottom of the steps. The Enforcers saw Jade disentangle herself first and start quickly back up the steps

"Thanks for the catch Viper," Jade called back as Viper came to her feet.

"Get back here," Viper demanded, chasing Jade back up the stairs.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Ratso asked. Finn watched as Gray's staff folded into three segments, letting him bypass Jackie's block and knock his head twice before the archaeologist backed off, shaking his head before getting his feet knocked out from under him.

"Until we get orders it might be best to hold back, you know, as the back up?" Finn suggested.

"Good plan," Chow agreed. A tearing sound announced Viper being thrown through the shrine wall. Tucking, she rolled down the hill and came to her feet, scowling at the foot of the hill.

An angry shout was heard before Jade made a smaller hole above the one Viper made and curled into a ball, rolling down the hill. She came down next to Viper and collapsed, apparently dizzy from her descent.

"You know what; I don't think I'm really needed here with that badass grandpa up there. Enjoy the falls," Viper told Jade, going to save Jackie from the beating he was barely escaping as Gray chased him around an unconscious Tohru.

Jade glared after her, thinking she may have been insulted. But having bigger worries, she started to scamper back up the hill.

X X X

Uncle glared around the quarters he knew to belong to Brother Dark's from the color scheme. The Spartan building contained only two strange items, a working radio and three stacks of old Entertainment Weekly.

Surely there was something mystical here that would shed some light on the situation.

X X X

Jade stepped back into the shrine and saw White standing between her and the tablet, that same smile still on his wrinkly face. He was smaller than the other two sages; his robes were short sleeved, showing off powerful looking arms, and his white eyebrows concealed his eyes with their disturbing caterpillar like fluffiness.

"Oh, back again?" he asked. Jade scowled, assuming a low stance with her right fist held out.

"You got lucky before, I've got super strength, you won't be tossing me through a wall this time!" Jade declared. She charged him with a battle cry while he nodded in agreement.

X X X

"Viper, where's Jade?" Jackie demanded of the thief as the revived Tohru occupied Gray, whose staff was in Jackie's hand.

"Probably still trying to steal the tablet of whatever. Where's our old man?" Viper answered, looking around.

"What? ! Why aren't you stopping her! ?" Jackie shouted.

"Jackie, with that guy in white guarding it, the goods may as well be on the moon," Viper told him, a bit offended at the implied negligence.

"These people are very dangerous Viper," Jackie countered as Tohru received a head butt.

"Oh come on, with the theme here the guy in white must be the good guy. What's he going to do?" Viper asked. The sound of breaking wood drew everyone's attention to the shrine. Jade soared up into the air and plummeted back down to hit the shrine roof next to the new hole. She slid off the roof and rolled back down the hill, letting loose a stream of cussing.

Jackie shot a look at Viper, who held up her hands defensively.

"Hey, if she can cuss like that it can't be too bad. Right?" Viper pointed out. Gray tapped Jackie on the shoulder and struck his face with an open palm when he turned.

"I am not fixing that," Brother Dark declared, glancing at the damaged roof as he fended off the Shadow Hand warriors.

X X X

'The courtyard makes a big yin-yang, just with gray shades rather than black and white,' Jade thought, pulling herself to a sitting position. Her aerial escapade had revealed that interesting bit of trivia, but now she had to focus on avoiding a return trip to the sky.

Okay, lesson learned, frontal assault bad idea, time for sneakiness and strategy. She saw Hak Foo land a drop kick on Black, her two bodyguards following up and driving the monk back.

"That'll work," Jade grinned.

X X X

Hak Foo ripped the curtain off and tossed it aside, stepping into the shrine. White turned to look at him, one eye peeking into view.

"Good, more visitors," White remarked.

"Lion charges pale horse!" Hak Foo called out as he charged.

"Snake kick!" Hak Foo struck out. White deflected the blow and, grabbing the leg, spun Hak Foo into the air. The warrior landed, crouching.

"But snakes have no legs," White pointed out.

"Bull charges!" Hak Foo answered, hurtling forward again. Jade rolled out of his shadow onto the floor.

"Matador harnesses charge," White calmly announced. Next thing Hak Foo knew, he was going through a wall and eating dirt as he rolled down the hill. He came to his feet at the bottom, angry.

"Goat climbs mountain!" Hak Foo bellowed, charging back up the slope.

X X X

Jade reached for the tablet, only to be pulled back and out of reach from it into the air. Looking up, she saw White was holding her aloft by her hood.

"Oh crap," Jade sighed.

"Could you not throw me down the hill? Aren't monks supposed to be pacifists?" she asked, brushing some dirt from her hair.

"I am a pacifist," White objected.

"Wha? Tell that to my bruises!" Jade shouted, pulling up her shirt to show her blue belly.

"Okay, they don't show up well since I'm blue, but trust me they're forming," Jade explained.

"I harm nothing, it is the objects you collide with that harm you," White enlightened her before flinging her away again.

This time she flew into one of the support beams, leaving an impression before she fell to the floor.

"Tsk, such a malign structure we have," White chided the shrine. Hak Foo burst back in.

"Angry crow takes flight!" Hak Foo roared as her leapt into the air.

X X X

Uncle scowled as he left the white room. All he had found in there was some Sport Illustrated magazines from the 80s. Hearing a commotion, he watched Jade and Hak Foo fall down the hill from the shrine. Without comment, he went into the last building.

Meanwhile, finding himself short an opponent, Brother Dark decided it was the Enforcers' turn as the Shadowkhan pursued him.

X X X

Jade was imbedded in the fractured floorboards as Hak Foo once again engaged the white-garbed sage.

"Reed bends like… _sigh,_" White muttered out as he bent over backwards to dodge an elephant fist.

"Sorry, I'm not as quick on the take as you. Where do you get these names, young man?" White asked, scratching his nose.

"You mock me?" Hak Foo asked.

"Simply curious," White answered. He opted to throw Hak Foo through the most damaged wall, catching his foot with the next exchange. The young elemental was trying to sneak to the tablet so White needed a moment of free hands.

X X X

Uncle found the gray monk's quarters the most ill kept, with clothing, incense, sticks, kindling, and a few bowls lying around. Noticing a loose floorboard, he was disappointed to find another stack of magazines. Slamming the panel back into place, he realized someone was behind him.

The old wizard turned and reflexively caught the staff that was thrown at him.

"What, don't care for MAD?" Gray asked, looking to the improperly replaced floor panel.

"What kind of sages are you?" Uncle demanded.

"The kind who take vacations to keep up with the times. I certainly hope you can use that staff, I want a good fight out of this day," Gray explained, falling into a mantis stance.

X X X

Jade didn't bother using the door; she just ripped through what was left of the wall, having climbed the hill, again. Some of the anger flowing around her dissipated at the strange sight before her.

Hak Foo stood tense as usual while White was sitting between him and the tablet. Nearly a minute passed, with Jade watching, expecting something to happen. Nothing happened.

"What are you doing?" Jade asked, stepping into the ransacked shrine.

"He turns every attack back on me. So I will wait for him to attack and turn it back on him," Hak Foo declared, glowering at the smiling face of his opponent.

"That could take awhile," Jade pointed out. White seemed to be getting comfortable.

"Cougar watches grass grow," Hak Foo stated. Jade's left eye started twitching as something snapped in her head.

"No it doesn't! If cougar won't be helping, it will go back down and beat up my uncle!" Jade roared, pointing towards the door. Hak Foo turned his glower on her to be meet with a hiss that showed off her teeth. Without further objection, he turned and went through the door, but stopped to look back at his opponent. White frowned slightly, looking over to Jade.

"Did you have to do that? He is such an entertaining young man, nice hair too. I can see why you keep him around," White commented. Jade whirled on him and stomped up to the monk, grabbing fistfuls of his robe in her fists.

"Will you just give me the treasure already?" Jade screamed in his face, trying and failing to shake him with her super strength. With a far too casual wave of his hand, he broke her grip and was on his feet holding her by the hood again. Jade closed her eyes, ready for another flight. She appreciated her levitating powers more than ever after being reminded what a bitch gravity was.

The flight never came as she felt her feet placed back on the floor and her hood fall back onto her head. Opening her eyes, she saw the tablet lying before her.

"All you had to do was ask," White told her, bowing his head.

"Huh?" was the only sound Jade made.

"I hope it proves an interesting read," White continued. Jade's eye was twitching again before she went rod still and pointed an accusing finger at White.

"I know what you're doing! It's a trap, isn't it? Once I take it some huge boulder will chase me. Or wait! This whole mountain is really a volcano and it will start to erupt after I take it! We'll all end up fighting as we ride rubble down the eruption, fighting over the tablet and it will get lost in the lava just when I think I've won!

"Well you know what? Screw you and your volcano, I'm taking it anyway!" Jade screamed. She snatched the tablet up and turned to run with it. Super strength, however, didn't help with the momentum, sending her sprawling on the floor as the stone turned her.

She lay there, still holding the tablet. White was about to speak up when she picked herself up and held the tablet on top of her head. With as much dignity as she could muster, she made her way to the door. As she reached the top of the stairs, White called out.

"Do bring it back when you're done," White said, waving goodbye. Jade pivoted and shook a fist at the sage.

"I'll only come back to burn this place to the – oh no," Jade whimpered as she was tipped backward by the tablet's weight and tumbled out of sight. A stream of foul language faded away as she made her descent out of sight.

"Good kid, but she certainly does a lot of falling," White mused. He looked around the demolished shrine.

"Brother Dark will not be pleased at repairing this," he muttered, running a hand over his bare head.

X X X

Left watched as his Queen toppled down the stairs, a stone tablet radiating an aura of power preceding her. Disregarding the battle, he sprinted to the base of the stairs. He reached out and stopped her from hitting the tablet as it hit the cobbles.

"Get me out of here, and bring that," Jade murmured into his arms. Right appeared next to him and picked up the tablet as Left moved the Queen to his back, where she grabbed his shoulder while holding her head with the other hand.

"I never got knocked around like this in other adventures," Jade complained.

"It's your _verrry_ bad karma, Jade," Uncle answered her off to the side.

"Tch, Shadow Hand, we're leaving!" Jade called out. The Enforcers were happy to run as best they could from the courtyard, Brother Dark letting them go. Hak Foo hesitated, glaring up at the shrine.

"I will return! And defeat you!" Hak Foo called out to the out of sight sage. Dark bonked him on the head with his fist.

"Good luck with that," Brother Dark mocked as Hak Foo tried to grab him.

"Move it!" Jade called back from her retreating perch. Hak Foo scowled, but turned to run for the gate.

"Aiyaa! Do not let them take bad magic!" Uncle called out, pointing with the staff. The heroic pursuit was halted as both Dark and Gray leapt to stand in their way.

"Sorry, but if our brother yielded it to her, it is hers for now," Gray stated.

"And people question my moral compass," Viper complained. Uncle looked fit to burst while Jackie was frustrated but resigned to the bad day. A tug on his trousers made Tohru turn and see White standing behind him, holding a pair of scrolls. The other two monks descended on the rest of the heroes as White gave the giant the scrolls.

X X X

Jackie and Viper were thrown out of the gates first. They landed well enough with their training. Realizing that the Shadow Hand seemed long gone, Jackie just sighed and realized their camp was still not set up. Viper just sat where she landed and watched as Uncle was sent flying past her.

Dark dusted off his hands as Gray gave him a congratulatory slap on the back, his other hand holding the reclaimed staff. Tohru was pushed firmly and gently through the gate by White, gingerly holding two scrolls in his hands.

"So these scrolls hold the location of the other two pieces of the tablet?" Tohru asked.

"Yes, they are your right, just as the fragment we guarded was hers. With their knowledge, you may find the others before her blood guides her to them," White answered Tohru as the giant walked into the gathering night. Uncle stormed past him, glaring at the three sages.

"Aiyaa! What kind of guardians let dark forces take back powerful dark artifact?" Uncle demanded.

"Our kind apparently," Gray grinned. Dark clapped his hands together and the gates slammed shut in Uncle's face. The sun finally set behind the horizon and with the fading twilight the shrine vanished as it had appeared, leaving the heroes alone to finish their camp as Uncle set Tohru to his new research.

_Later:_

Brother Dark looked at the light pouring through the demolished walls of the shrine. He just knew he would be the one to end up fixing that.

"Quit being so sour, this was a red letter day," the aptly named Gin Grey scolded as he sat down next to the black robed sage on the garden path.

"It seems wrong after all these centuries to give our order's treasure to a child," Dark stated.

"A child of destiny. The Zodiac Prophecy said she would be the hero to lift the Years of Night," Grey pointed out.

"That prophecy said Shendu would vanquish the Hero of the Zodiac and the year would end in fire as the dragon's fury poured over the land. A failed prophecy is useless," Dark retorted.

"You sound disappointed we aren't training acolytes to battle a tide of darkness sweeping over the land, rather than watching ye olde broken rock.

"Anyway, the point is, that's no ordinary kid, even without the whole blue skin and pointy teeth thing," Grey insisted.

"And the fact that ancient evils keep cropping up one after another shows the balance is demanding the current age end," Dark shot back.

"Or perhaps humanity is simply called to prove itself anew for peace," Grey fired back.

"Peace brothers, we should be reflecting on the momentous events," White put out as he inspected a nearby vegetable patch.

"What's your take on this, Caterpillar?" Grey asked. Dark shared his interest as White pulled Jade's latest wand from the patch.

"Prophecy is just a prediction. There is no fate beyond running out of time, destiny is what happens when people refuse to move from the roles the world casts for them.

"A wicked giant chose to act on his conscience against his selfish nature. Thus the world was saved by the most unlikely of heroes," White supplied as he snapped his fingers, opening the gate to reveal a picturesque valley with a nearby waterfall raising a mist in the night air.

"So the giant becoming a hero allows the darkness to claim the girl," Dark mused.

"Perhaps, but the greatest illusion is not free will but the absence of choice," White answered, stepping thorough the gate onto the grass.

He pointed the chi zapper at a tree and a point of black energy grew at its tip before a thread of darkness shot out to strike the tree. The energy faded and the night sounds resumed. Darkness swirled from the point of impact and the tree distorted around it, collapsing in on the spot before, with a pop and a flash, it vanished along with a scoop of earth where the pine had stood.

"Though the girl does make very nice chi zappers," White grinned, putting the wand in his belt.

_Much Later, Elsewhere:_

Jade sat on the hotel bed, holding an ice pack to her head and frowning at the stone tablet laid before her on the mattress. It wasn't quite the luxury suite she wanted but she was comfortable enough having eaten, washed, and changed into a small black bathrobe letting her hair air dry.

Thank goodness (er, whatever?) for healing powers, the only thing still hurting from being tossed around was her poor head. Though, her headache was getting worse by the moment sadly.

"The Teachings of Eternal Shadow, set in stone the knowledge to bend and coax the living shadow to one's will and whim," Jade read the writing engraved on the stone aloud. It wasn't written in any language she had learned but it was clear to her all the same. The memories she had taken from her predecessor told her it was her race's written language, her blood granted her knowledge of it.

Which was quite gratifying; she recalled her brief experience with the Demon Archive, and the translator it had required. But now the question was…

"Where are the freaking spells? !" Jade growled. All she was seeing was a cover page, and nothing was engraved on the back. Tapping the stone with her free hand, her attention shifted to Left standing guard beside the door.

"So can you talk?" Jade asked the red-sashed Shadowkhan.

"Yes," he answered, his voice clearer but deeper than Right's.

"Since when?" Jade inquired, tilting her head.

"When I fought Ikazuki's samurai," Left stated. Jade was taken aback by the answer.

"So why not speak up?" Jade pressed, curious.

"Nothing needed to be said," Left answered. Jade frowned a bit, thinking on his answer, her gaze returning to the stone.

"Any thoughts on this?" Jade asked hopefully. Left glanced to the tablet before resuming his rigid posture and answering.

"Perhaps the key is in the inscription? You may need to coax or bend it to your will," Left answered finally. Jade was about to ask how you did that with a rock, but thought better of it. Fixing the tablet with her best drop-dead glare, she grabbed it edges and picked it up.

"Listen you, I'm the Queen of the Shinobi Tribe and Queen-to-be of the Shadowkhan, so whatever you've got is already mine. Fork it over!" Jade demanded. The title flashed red and red ink seemed to seep up from the stone into the engravings as seams appeared along the edges.

"Thanks," Jade told Left. Sitting the stone book back down, she opened to the first page and began to read the red writing within.

**

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**

AN:

_Well, now we have really stepped out of the sanction of canon. The heroes and Jade have another quest to occupy them, and I throw out some other cryptic lines. Hope I don't scare too many of you away with the original chapter._

_I hope you enjoyed my little gift to you on my birthday, this makes 24 return trips._

Next: **Interlude II**: Tohru pulls an inside job and more sinister moments in the past.

**Till then long days and pleasant nights to you all.**

Please Read & Review.

PDJ Presents:


	9. Interlude II

Disclaimer: Alas, I begin to fear I shall never own Jackie Chan Adventures. So stop asking Mr. Litigator with nothing better to do.

_Betaed by Zim'sMostLoyalServant_

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**Queen of All Oni**

Interlude II

_The State of Heroes_

"Uncle, are you sure this is a good idea?" Jackie asked as he looked at the talisman resting in the palm of his hand. The wizard answered him with a smack and plucked the Sheep Talisman from his hand, examining it as he adjusted his glasses.

"Uncle knows what he is doing! Tohru, do not scratch nose," Uncle declared.

The sumo sat in the center of the shop's library in the middle of a circle that had been painted on the floor with chi symbols lining its inner ring. Three symbols had been painted on the sumo's face with green ink, forehead and both cheeks. With a sigh, the sumo lowered his hand and resumed the lotus position.

"So this will help us find Jade?" Viper inquired, looking over the edge of the book she was browsing, seated at Uncle's desk.

"Not in body, but in mind. Jade has hidden herself, and someone is using magic to conceal her from Uncle's locator spells. Uncle suspects bad wizard is at work, or Jade has been a quick study," Uncle pondered before continuing.

"But no one is ever wholly unreachable. Seeking spell combined with magic of talisman and hair taken from Jade's brush will let Tohru pass through the dreaming to reach Jade's mind and gain entrance," Uncle explained. He produced said strand of dark hair and began to wrap it around the talisman.

"Once there, I can hopefully learn where Jade is and what she is planning," Tohru supplied, cracking open an eye as Uncle stepped up to him.

"Be cautious my student; the mind is never like a library, all sorted and neat, waiting to be plucked. You will need to seek your answers amidst the chaotic order of memory and emotions that flow through Jade. In the realm of the mind, such things can take shape and even come alive. And if the darkness within Jade becomes aware of you, you must flee," Uncle instructed Tohru.

"I will be careful sensei," Tohru assured Uncle and the others.

"Hmm, Uncle must remain here to pull you back if worse happens. May the lantern of your karma light the path," Uncle imparted, placing the talisman on Tohru's head. With a subtle flash, it activated and Tohru's eyes drifted shut while his spirit took flight.

"Sensei, I am ready," Tohru risked speaking. When he received neither an answer nor a smack, he opened his eyes, and realized he was not in the shop anymore. The scene before him was impossible, like something out of a dream. Maybe that made it appropriate?

It was a sea of clouds; not a cloudbank, the clouds actually moved with waves and currents Tohru could see. They looked fluffy at the crests, before being more subdued in the currents that pulled and shifted across the twilight colored sea.

Then there were the islands, or towers?

They were buildings, but like a building designed to be as much outdoors as in, complete with vegetation like the crab apple tree he was standing under. One looked to be covered in a jungle in the distance.

It was a cityscape that was also an archipelago. This was Jade's mind; it seemed even with darkness infecting it, that it was still beautiful.

She was a city girl, but the wider world and its wonders were her often-shared ambition. This was her origin and her goal rolled into one.

Tohru, marveling at the insight he was gaining just by seeing this, did not realize he had let his guard down. As pretty as the land might have been, the natives were not quite so receptive. A middle-aged woman emerged from a cave/wardrobe and would have scowled at the intruder if she had a face to do it with.

As it was, she began to swing her lasso of paper and cloth, preparing to deal with the miscreant problem.

There was no willy to warn Tohru; perhaps because this was an out of body experience? Whatever the reason, it wasn't until the lasso fell past his head that he realized he wasn't alone. The rope tightened about his chest, pinning his arms to his side. With a cry of surprise, he turned while trying to rip through the rope. The rope dug in – but it didn't feel like proper rope – rather than tearing, and he stopped at the sight of his attacker. Standing under a cliff face with a large round mirror embedded in it was a faceless woman.

She was dressed like an office worker, but also had an apron on, her hair pulled up in a conservative style. And she had no face, a detail that kept coming back to the forefront of Tohru's mind. His hesitation was met with her securing the end of her rope (which he now saw was made of paper and dull shaded cloth wound together) to the crabapple tree. Reaching into her pockets, she pulled out more such ropes.

As Tohru continued to struggle, she pulled out another length of her "rope", which coiled around it, forming into the shape of a sword. Tohru's eyes widened as she stepped towards him, raising the sword above his head, ready to bring it down on him…

"Oi!"

Spinning around to face the sound of the shout, the woman somehow growled, even without a mouth. Peeking around the woman's figure, the sumo raised an eyebrow at his apparent savior.

The young man was dressed like something out of a Robin Hood movie, his clothes almost Medieval in style, but in garishly bright colors. Atop his head sat a hat that wouldn't have looked out of place on one of the Three Musketeers, a large white feather sticking out of it. Almost unnoticeable amongst all this was the fact that his hands were manacled together in front of him.

"Anyone ever tell you to pick on someone your own size?" he asked, flashing the woman a roguish smirk.

With a hiss, she charged at him, swinging her sword to take off his head, only for him to spring into the air. Spinning around in an almost melodramatic fashion, he landed in a crouch directly behind her, and then kicked out with one leg, sweeping her feet out from underneath her and sending her to the ground. She pulled herself partially up and tried to swing at him again, only for him to strike her in the head with his manacled arms, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"And stay down," he said with that same smirk. He kicked some dirt up onto the faceless woman, and to Tohru's shock she actually sank into the earth like it was quicksand. Naturally he was distressed when this clearly more powerful being turned his undivided attention on the bound sumo.

"Tohru! Well this is unexpected, magnificent!" the loudly dressed young man cheered, never losing that smile. It did slip some as he considered Tohru's current state, his attention moving to the original rope still taut between the downed sumo and the tree.

"Sorry for the welcoming committee, but don't worry, her ropes may seem hard to escape but it's just a matter of applying force in the right place. Here," the rescuer explained. Walking up to the rope, he chopped it in half with an ax kick. The not quite ropes holding Tohru literally unraveled, letting the sumo sit up in a pile of formal dresses and paper. Picking up a fistful of the papers, he saw they were study guides, reports, and tests with failing grades.

"Thanks for the assistance; I've been trying to put Mother back in her hole ever since that red head let her out. She may be weak these days, but she can be very hard to pin down and surfaces at inconvenient times to say the least," the young man said as he offered his manacled hands to help the sumo to his feet. Tohru accepted, letting the papers drop and be carried off by the wind. Still, he frowned, watching the pile shrink and vanish in the sudden kick up of air.

"Mother?" Tohru wondered aloud.

"Indeed, but then I guess you wouldn't know, immigrant without customs and all that," the young man scratched his chiseled chin as the colors of his outfit shifted slightly. Realization dawned visibly on Tohru's face.

"That was Jade's mother?" Tohru questioned, already knowing.

"More like a combination of perception and influence; always pressing the academics and trying to force a respectable social role. Wasn't always so bad, but that was a long time ago. Best thing these days is to keep her good and buried. I can still do that at least, it seems," the young man answered. He looked quite pleased with his achievement.

"This place, it's Jade's parent's flat," Tohru guessed, recognizing some of the pattern from his few times in the place.

"More accurately we are stranded in Jade's crappy pre-Jackie childhood," the man corrected, though he must not be an actual man, Tohru realized.

"Who are you?" Tohru asked. Somehow that smirk managed to get wider, as the man leapt into the air and landed atop a nearby boulder, striking the best dramatic pose he could with his impeded hands before making his introduction.

"I, am Hero!" he declared as the wind stirred his hair and bright cloak.

"Oh," Tohru answered, a bit stupefied by the purposefully dramatic scene and lighting before him. The moment passed and Hero frowned, apparently realizing the manacles were detracting from his moment. As Hero began to fiddle with the chain, Tohru cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, Mr. Hero?" Tohru ventured. Hero actually scowled as his head snapped up and fixed Tohru with a look. He leapt again, dramatically as seemed his norm, and landed behind Tohru, giving him a two handed pat on the back.

"No need to be formal, I'm just an adventurous rogue that, while disregarding many social norms, am quite moral where it counts and have a heart of gold under the boast and bluster!" Hero proclaimed to his solitary audience.

Tohru was seeing a bit of a resemblance, but it was clear Jade, even at her best, was influenced by more than this man. Why was her inner hero a man?

"You had a question?" Hero pressed, seeming to have calmed down some.

"Uh, yes, Uncle sent me here to gather information. We want to end the darkness that has overtaken Jade," Tohru explained. Hero looked serious for the first time, and jerked his head towards an earthen staircase Tohru was certain wasn't there a moment ago.

"Showing will help," Hero stated, beckoning Tohru to follow him to the steps. They ascended, and Tohru could see still more islands and wondered how vast Jade's mind was. Hero started talking.

"Now, we call this place the Jade Sea, everything and everyone here is part of Jade. Me, I'm all the heroic stuff bundled together in a handy handsome package. I used to be in charge around here, but then she took control," Hero growled.

"She?" Tohru queried. Hero turned from his place above on the steps and pointed out to sea. Tohru saw a massive galleon round a distant island. It was a magnificent ship fluting a black flag, with a dark haired skull with red eyes on crossbones, and the four letters of Jade's name in the corner.

"My ship, the HMS _Jade_. One of the three symbols of influence, and the Queen took it from me in a mutiny," Hero growled.

"The Queen… Jade's dark side?" Tohru asked. He had a feeling that even if the flags had changed, that Hero was still a pirate. A heroic pirate seemed to fit with how Jade acted.

"Oh yeah, and she's hardly alone. Resentment, Anger, Ego, and turncoats like Ambition helped her clap me in irons and maroon me here so they could sail off.

"I can still influence things while I'm outside the brig, but there is a limit to what I can do. Like keeping her from taking things too far in her payback, for example. But it's all playing defense; she has my sword too, which gives her two out of three, the same as I had," Hero admitted. Tohru noticed the empty scabbard at Hero's belt, thin like for a saber.

"What's the third power?" Tohru asked.

"Home," Hero answered. This time his pointed towards what Tohru recognized somehow at the center of this world. It was larger and far grander, but it was unmistakably Uncle's Rare Finds. And light was shining out through the windows.

"That is sacred ground; even I was leery of treading there, and the Queen cannot assault it properly, even now. I am not sure what it is, but aspects like us can't get in and so long as that remains true, Jade has the power to reject us. The soul maybe?" Hero speculated.

"So, Jade is not dangerous?" Tohru pressed.

"No, she is dangerous. These chains grow heavier all the time, last time with Ikazuki treating her so poorly. I can't really see the outside anymore and then there's this infernal twilight.

"Would you believe there was a time this sky was clear and blue? It became so bright and pristine when Jade came to America, and now it is full of twilight and clouds. If night falls, it's the brig for me, maybe my rival too."

"Twilight – that heralds nightfall," Tohru stated.

"Aye and bitter winds seem to be blowing more and more. There was that storm earlier, and more of the aspects are turning blue all the time it would seem. Jade is letting her humanity slip away with less and less of a fight. I'm the best of her fighting, so this resignation hurts me while the bad side of fighting gets stronger," Hero declared with sedate seriousness. The sound of distant thunder drew Tohru's attention to another segment of the horizon.

It wasn't thunder at all; he could plainly see the pirate ship bombarding an island building with two towers, one twice as high as its brother. The smaller one was naked steel and stone and looked far more like a tower, while the other was partially covered in forest and seemed in general more nature oriented, though as his eyes seemed to zoom again it looked like the rest had been cleared by a fire.

"Ah, sorry you have to see that," Hero apologized. The personification resumed his ascent, and Tohru turned away from the spectacle to follow.

"What is that island?" Tohru asked.

"You, enemy, friend, ally and rival; the relationship is dual and linked. There was a lovely town between the peaks, but I haven't been over there since the twilight fell. Envy and Ambition liked to sulk around there, and those two have been having a field day. Those shellings don't do much usually, but she keeps at it. Out of everyone, you are in the most danger as it stands; the Queen holds Jade's most assertive darkness, just as I hold the assertive light.

"But not all the news is bad – I am planning to retake the ship," Hero declared proudly. They reached the summit of the island and Tohru felt a moment of vertigo, as the roof of the island was only a few meters wide, with sheer drops around them save for the staircase they just climbed.

Hero, perhaps naturally, was undaunted and walked to a ledge and jerked his head to indicate Tohru over. The apprentice wizard cautiously approached and saw a parking lot/beach with a lagoon below. A quay jutted into the bay, and ridiculously large chains rusted in the shallow waters. Bobbing over them was a dinghy of clearly questionable construction with a patchwork quilt.

"That's the bay where the HMS _Jade_ was chained to the dock by the old life. I have been using it as a shipyard to make an escape vessel that will let me search the sea for allies and launch a heroic counter-mutiny to make things right and bright once more," Hero declared with such pride one would think he had already done just that.

"Um, this is your vessel?" Tohru was not inspired with confidence; it would seem the impulse to rush things fell under Hero's influence. Then again, Queen Jade didn't seem overly patient, maybe that was a virtue neither extreme valued?

"I know what you mean – building a ship out of Jade's crappy childhood wasn't my first choice.

"I was hoping to catch some sea turtles. Preferably adolescent enchanted pirate turtles; vessel and kick butt crew all in one. No one plans for turtle pirates, even I laughed at the idea. But alas, no turtles to be had in the clouds, so I make do with the crap I find to make the HMS _Failure_ sea worthy," Hero admitted. Tohru was not assured by this; he'd heard heroism required a certain wonderful madness, but this was not looking good.

"The _Failure_?" Tohru asked.

"Well, that was written on most of the paper already and the hem of the too tight dresses, so I just rolled with it.

"Anyway, once I scrounge up my rival and any other mutinous aspects, we will launch a bold and sneaky attack, retaking my sword and the helm!" Hero declared, striking another dramatic pose which made Tohru worry he would fall off the cliff.

"Uh, do you have a plan, perhaps we could assist you somehow?" Tohru asked.

"Just that we sneak up on them, then hit 'em with everything and improvise from there," Hero proclaimed.

...

"I admit me and Intellect never got on that well, but Cunning and Intuition are old buddies, even if they are two timing on me!" Hero whined the last part before regaining his signature grin.

"You said you have a rival, you didn't mean the Queen?" Tohru asked, wanting to know if there was someone else they could rely on.

"The Queen… she may have the style to be a rival but she lacks the moxy. You may yet see how far a lack of moxy gets you. No, my one true rival is that stick in the mud, Father," Hero waved off the question.

"Father? Wouldn't he be here?" Tohru asked, gesturing to the invasive and, on closer examination, pitfall-ridden landscape. Hero for the first time looked genuinely confused.

"Why would he be here? He was never here," Hero asked. The wind shifted violently, and Hero's look changed to one of distress.

"You've been discovered, I need to kick you out now!" Hero shouted over the wind as the ship turned and began to sail towards them. Tohru made to ask something else, but Hero spun kicked him in the ass, sending the wizard clear through the sky and out of the mind.

Turning his attention to the approaching ship, Hero flipped a double bird before vaulting down the cliff out of sight.

Jade shot up in her bed and glanced around in confusion.

'What a strange dream, it seemed so real,' she thought as Scruffy stirred and she scratched his ears.

'I know dreams are supposed to mean something, but what could I get from Jackie trying to catch me in a pair of giant disco mirror pants?' Jade wondered. She drifted back to sleep soon enough, deep and dreamless.

_

* * *

_

Long Ago, Far Away:

The air was dead, that was the thought that played across the young samurai's mind. The winds and rain of the storm had vanished like a dream; he missed them compared to the empty darkness that now surrounded him.

"Benkei!" he called for his faithful companion. He was not surprised his call vanished unanswered into the darkness. The warrior monk had sensed an ominous presence as the storm broke. It had come quick out of nowhere, and now this. Sorcery was at work.

A fire flared to life in front of him, oddly normal for the empty dark plain he found himself on. He advanced and realized a man was sitting at the fire, a hulking armored man, wild in appearance; at first he thought it was Benkei, but the notion was dismissed as soon as it came.

The man was as large but not so bulky, and his armor was the grade of nobility, though mixed with barbarism. The face was obscured by the shadow of the helm he wore, a helm bearing a familiar crest.

"You are of the Minamoto," the samurai stated, stepping up to the fire opposite the man.

"Yes, it is good to meet you at last, nephew," the imposing samurai spoke.

"Yet again my dead kinsmen speak to me," the young man murmured, flattered and exasperated. He frowned as an echoing laughter boomed across the plains.

"Not all of your uncles are dead, Yoshitune," the mysterious kinsman answered. Recognition lit Yoshitune's eyes as he recalled his family's history.

"You are Tametomo. The archer who became a demon in exchange for power, the sole brother to escape the downfall of the Hogen Rebellion," Yoshitune realized.

"Not quite, though I am who you say. I traded my soul to the court of shadows for power. I still live, though blessed with the power I desired; in exchange I forfeit my afterlife to rise again as a servant to my patrons.

"But enough about me, your achievements are to be commended. You do the name Minamoto proud, greatest of brothers," Tametomo answered.

"You speak false, my brother the Ason stands above me," Yoshitune answered.

"Ah yes, Yoritomo, the chosen of Hachiman. You are quick to follow a man you could best," Tametomo admonished.

"He is my brother and Ason, why should I wish to best him?" Yoshitune demanded.

"Ah, your upbringing shows. The monks raised you from a babe when the Taira spared your life in exchange for your mother whoring herself to the Ason of the Taira. Your spirit survived their efforts to geld it, to mold you into a pious coward wasting his life chanting sutras and pursuing worthless wisdom while the world passes you by to die a wrinkled virgin.

"Yes, your spirit is to be commended, as is your might. You impressed the Tengu, who share our low opinion of the arrogant holy ones. Sojo Bo, the Tengu Prince himself, was your sensei; among mortal men there is no warrior who can now defeat you by the sword.

"Yet you are so naïve in the ways of men, having been raised by the fallen men known as monks. You think Yoritomo values you for your strength? He does, but he fears you as well. He is a courtier who pretends to be a warrior; he sees himself as the measure of men, and knowing you are stronger fears the day you will turn that strength on him," Tametomo explained.

"A day that will never come, my dark uncle. I took up the ways of the Tengu to avenge my father, mother, and all the other Minamoto to fall by the machinations of Taira Kiyomori. His is the only downfall I seek, him and his entire flock of butterflies," Yoshitune answered.

"Honor… it has been awhile. I see much of your father in you, but a good deal of myself as well.

"Your father was also faithful, his devotion to the law and the throne was something to behold. He placed honor before family; those who survived made me a demon, but Yoshitomo was the one to betray the clan. Though my brothers despised me, I came to my father's call during the Hogen. I drove back your father and Kiyomori both single-handedly, holding the gate against their forces.

"Your father defeated the rebellion, he burned us out and the greater strength of the Minamoto was lost either in battle or executed. Yet they blamed him for the damage to the city, they made him execute our father by his own hand to prove his loyalty to the throne. And they suspected him of treachery when he begged for his father's life, or at the least, not to end it himself.

"When the spoils were handed out, Kiyomori and his butterflies received honors while your father was named master of the Left Stables. It was his reward to tend the horses of the very perfumed nobles he had saved from the likes of me.

"And in the Heiji Rebellion he was on the losing side. He tried to break the Retired Emperor's hold and achieve something for the clan. But his allies were fools; they forced him into losing the war by pretending to be Generals. He could have won had he simply not suffered the fools and destroyed Kiyomori when he had the chance.

"And the honorable Yoshitomo died, most of his mighty sons preceding him in death, those left spared only by his wife becoming paramour for the butterfly chieftain. Not even a warrior's death, stabbed to death in a bath by his own treacherous vassal. Had he even a bokuto . . . but no, the honorable Ason of the Minamoto died a lonely fugitive, a failure," Tametomo recounted.

"You need not end so pathetically, nephew. Like you, I was born to a harsh existence; spurned as strange, I had to make my own way or forever live in the shadows of my "truer" kinsmen. Heh, shadows.

"Like me, you have reached beyond humanity to achieve your goals, and like me you can do so much.

"Your brother Akugenda has walked this path. Surely you have heard of the curse he uttered before he was executed in Heian Kuo by the Taira? As he said, he has risen again as a demon of thunder to rain havoc on those who destroyed his father; the storm that carried me here was his in fact.

"I myself am a king in my own right, not by birth; a throne to the south won by steel and cunning. But still so little when compared to Nihon.

"The Oni seek the Mappo, the "Days of the End Law" to consume Nihon and feast upon the chaos. My old master the Shin In has become their king and his heart is darkness and hellfire. He will despoil and destroy the empire he was denied in life. It is already in motion; the Dharma Candle has been snuffed out and dark winds blow through Heian Kuo while butterflies and doves flutter before the storm.

"You have a great destiny, your victories and prowess will be legends and endure for ages among the great tales of heroism. But you will defeat every one you call foe only to fall to your allies' envy; the chosen of Hachiman will not abide the chosen of the Tengu. It need not be so – I can save you from your father's fate, all I need is for you to aid me when you stand as master of the land. You as Shogun of Nihon and myself as King in Shin In's place, the name Minamoto shall bring an Empire such as the world has never seen or shall see again!" Tametomo proclaimed. Yoshitune looked solemnly on his dark uncle and threw back his head laughing.

For one of the few times in his life, Tametomo of the Minamoto was struck speechless.

"Uncle, you didn't finish," Yoshitune gasped out, regaining his composure.

"Finish?" Tametomo asked, regarding his nephew warily.

"My father's story. When Sojo Bo sensei released me from his tutelage he gave me two gifts, a scroll with his final lesson and a bronze mirror. I saw the face of my father in the mirror; I heard his voice. Minamoto Yoshitomo sits upon the lotus in the Pure Lands. This world may have forsaken him, but Heaven remembered.

"My father lived by honor, I am his son. I will face my fate sword in hand, I do not need or want your aid," Yoshitune declared. Tametomo scowled and rose; Yoshitune did not rise to the challenge, his face still light with mirth.

"You are your father's son, and perhaps more importantly yourself. You will regret the path of honor yet, now we must both abide by destiny. I would bid you farewell, but I know better," the darkness overcame Yoshitune and he was alone.

As the darkness lifted he heard voices; once more he was in the world of men he realized, and a hairy giant of a man in armor and robes approached him.

"Young master, I feared we had lost you. That was no natural storm, I felt a darkness come over us," the warrior monk growled, peering about in suspicion.

"It did Benkei, but it has passed. Come, we still have many butterflies to catch for Yoritomo," Yoshitune stated as he began to make his way back to the camp. The future would come in its own time, for now there was a war to win.

_

* * *

_

AN:

_Well another interlude. Some questions answered, more raised hopefully. Still no answers on my Beta request, so it looks like DX is delayed, again. So my next effort will hopefully, JF but it may end up being JoD or SSG._

Next Chapter: "**Pacts** or _Learning to Shake_"

**Long days and pleasant nights to you all**.


	10. Mutts & Matchmakers

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Jackie Chan adventures. Or did you already know that? I guess i might make some claim to the OCs? Ah well, its ll in fun yes?

_Betaed by_: Red Leader Zala & Zim'smostloyalsevant, could not of done it without you comrades.

* * *

**PDJ Presents:**

"Queen of All Oni"

CHAPTER VIII

Mutts and Matchmakers

OR

_Good Idea-Bad Idea Time_

_Windsor Mansion:_

It was truly a picturesque sunset that was playing out at Windsor Mansion. A few wispy clouds dyed the colors of twilight were the only flaws in a splendid sky, and they seemed to add to rather than detract from the scene. Add in the majestic silhouette of the mansion, and one could expect a photographer to pop up from the rocks to snap a few photos destined for a postcard, or a motivational poster of some kind.

Jade sat on one of the highest roofs of the mansion, securely situated on the crowning beam in a meditative pose. She was seemingly oblivious to the scenery, lost in thought or seeking some sort of answer within herself. At least it would seem, depending on your point of view.

In a realm ridiculously far and absurdly close, Jade was three quarters out of her body, her serpentine astral form swaying smoothly as she chanted her spell. Here at the border of Blankman's wards and the protection of the house ghouls, she risked partially emerging from her physical body to obtain her desire.

The swaying was probably unnecessary, but it seemed to come with the rhythmic chanting as she found herself caught up in the thrill of the moving forces.

She let the final word fall without exclamation, but it was still heavy and seemed to linger in the air like the last peal of a church bell. Jade took a deep breath from the chanting, and the darkness and light around her stirred in response.

Narrowing her eyes to slits in concentration, she continued to inhale as bits of those two elements broke off from the scenery and passed lumpily down her throat. The light was too spicy on the tongue and left a fruity aftertaste, while the darkness was sweet and left a strange bitter taste in its wake. Funny to know what such things taste like, Jade thought as she leaned forward to loosen up some dangling bits of the elements.

Soon her limit was reached and she caught her breath, coughing up some bright and dark flecks. Forget butterflies, she felt like she had birds in her stomach, and going at each other to boot. Twisting to look down at herself she could she the roving, probing bulges along her form.

'This has better be worth it,' Jade thought. The Shadowkhan girl looked up to see the scenery healing rapidly as she felt the fluttering start to subside as her own chi began to encase and compress the new additions. Like a cobra returning to its basket, she lowered herself into her body

Jade cracked her neck before opening her eyes, taking a moment to enjoy the sunset before continuing. The moment passed, and Jade wove her fingers together, pulled her arms out in front of her, and struck her own stomach with a distinct lack of elegance.

Having failed to consider her strength in addition to the badass but precarious placement she hardly noticed the gurgling spike and subside as she tried to not fall off the roof. Remembering she could levitate, she came to her feet, blushing a darker blue at the slip.

But more importantly, she could feel it, a warmth in her belly, and spreading. Up into her chest it went, where it split to find her shoulders and run down her arms. The power emerged before her eyes in the palms of her hands, a gray mist rising from her skin in wisps until both her hands were hidden by the swirling clouds.

A salty sea wind swept the gray away, revealing her hands were no longer empty.

Queen Jade could barley recall anything so beautiful; the black metal edges seemed to drink in the light, and the folded blue metal between caught it with a mischievous subtlety. With a flick of her wrists, the fans opened in silence. Still more beauty – what else could she expect form light and darkness used to create shadow and shaped by her own chi? The blue was not unadorned; each fan held a character painted on its unfolded expanse. The fan in her right hand held the character for shadow proudly, while the left displayed her own name, while showing her smiling reflection.

Most of all she could feel her power flowing through them even now. There was no severance of the connection with them now being outside of her. Jade was certain that from now on these beautiful weapons were not only her key to magic, but completed her arms in a way she hadn't realized had been lacking.

Striking a stance with one of them concealing the lower half of her face, she decided that no other tool had ever so suited her.

_Chinatown:_

Jackie and Viper walked down the sidewalks of Chinatown carrying groceries, Jackie carrying the majority while Viper had a bag in each hand.

"So, Tohru made any progress with those scrolls the crazy monks gave him?" Viper asked breaking the silence.

"He has translated them, but they seem to be posing riddles. I guess they didn't want it to be easy to find the tablets even if someone managed to steal the scrolls," Jackie answered.

"That makes more sense than a lot of the stuff you magic types do," Viper commented.

"What? I am not magic," Jackie objected. She opened the door into the shop, holding it for him while giving n indulgent grin.

"Guilty by association Jackie," Viper chided.

"And you are guilty by actions," Uncle called out. The two wizards had cleared the counter and were shifting the Hana Fuda cards about on the surface, trying to activate them.

Despite the theory Jade found masks by following them, they couldn't risk a mask or a masked human running about unchecked.

"Thief, put groceries away, earn your trouble," Uncle demanded. The thief rolled her eyes but surprisingly took most of Jackie's burden and carried it into the kitchen.

When the door opened, Jackie tried to remember if the sign had been flipped to 'closed'. Uncle was notorious for still pursuing business even when the end was all but nigh, only actually closing the shop when no one was available to man it. However, he had seemed more focused since Jade's transformation and actually closed it a few times.

So Jackie half expected to see a customer of some sort walk in, or perhaps someone from Section 13.

Uncle and Tohru knew they were in business and Uncle got up from his seat to greet the potential customer, while Tohru – per an understanding – continued to shift the cards.

No one expected an exceptionally large pig to shamble through the door, its snout slightly uplifted, sniffing the air. Had Jade been there she would have instantly recognized the noble animal. As it was, Jackie and Tohru were understandably confused by the universe handing them a non sequitur, while Uncle was upset over a filthy pig coming into his shop. Though they found something familiar with the seemingly bored expression the pig had.

"Aiyyaa!" Uncle cried, snatching up a broom from seemingly nowhere. Advancing rapidly and raising the cleaning implement of doom to drive the animal from his property, he was met by a man wearing faded denim. His old face, weathered by decades spent mostly outside in the elements, sun faded red cap, and well-worn work boots, came together to make him a spitting image of the old farmer. The handsome rooster perched on his shoulder added a fine finishing touch.

"Long time no see Chans! Ah, there's no need to tidy up for old friends that blow into town for a big city tractor pull," Farmer MacDonald greeted the assembled. He waved off Uncle's broom as he walked in, looking around with calm interest at the shop.

"Farmer MacDonald? What are you doing here?" Jackie asked, while Uncle glared at the pig still standing on his clean floor, as if daring it to do its business there.

"Well, when I heard the pull was in Frisco, I asked myself what else could I make out of this trip. Then the boys here got excited and I recalled you lot had shop set up in this here town.

"No time like the present to drop in. And between you, me, and the antiques, I think my critters are missing those magic powers they had back then," the farmer stated, reminiscing on the adventure his family had gotten caught up in. Eggbert, the noble rooster, chose that moment to flap off the farmer's head and land on the desk, upsetting some of the Hana Fuda cards.

"Oh, did I interrupt a card game? Well deal me in fellas, I've been a regular shark around the table in my day," MacDonald declared, pulling up a chair and gathering the cards up in a deck with expert ease. Tohru sighed while Jackie forestalled Uncle exploding.

"I am sorry but this is not a good time-" Jackie began.

"You're right, Eggbert, something's missing. Where that little ball of energy shaped like a girl?" the Farmer ignored Jackie in favor of the rooster.

"Jade is… she is back in Hong Kong," Jackie lied, seeing no reason to get a good man mixed up in their mess.

"The old country? That's a darn shame. I know Mordecai had his heart set on seeing her again. Eggbert too; she has more of touch with animals than all of you put together," MacDonald commented, dealing out the cards.

"Where do you put the stupidly big bag of rice?" Viper asked, stepping out of the kitchen. Farmer MacDonald looked at the pretty young woman coming into the room and cocked an eyebrow before looking to Tohru and then settling on Jackie. He gave a small smile before taking his hat off and combing his gray hair back with his hand. A rather redundant act, since he replaced the cap on his head before stepping up to Viper, holding out his hand.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure ma'am, the name's Al MacDonald, blue ribbon farmer," he told her.

"Viper, I'm a thief," she told him, much to Jackie's distress.

"With a name like that I'm not surprised you'd end up on the wrong side of the law. Blasted hippy generation saddling their kids with strange names," MacDonald nodded his head. Viper was grinning in amusement.

"So, what brings Al MacDonald off his farm?" Viper asked.

"Aiyaa!" Uncle cried as Mordecai nearly toppled a shelf. Viper moved to help, while Jackie was stopped by the farmer grabbing his arm and dragging him into the kitchen.

"Well Jackie I must say my hat's off to you, fine catch you got there," MacDonald beamed, pulling up on his straps some.

"Catch?" Jackie asked as he turned his attention to the still unattended rice bag.

"Your girl," MacDonald clarified, causing Jackie to drop the bag he had just started lifting.

"What? !" Jackie cried. Now the farmer frowned, adjusting his cap.

"You mean you haven't reeled her in yet?" he demanded.

"She's a thief, I'm an archaeologist," Jackie pointed out, not wanting to be rude by calling the idea outright crazy.

"So she's Catwoman to your Batman; and you know what? Batman's still single. You seem to have trouble with the ladies, miniature and otherwise. But since you're a hero of some sort I'll help you out," the farmer decided.

"What?" Jackie asked, thoroughly confused.

"There's a good starting place; a woman likes a steady man, a rock. You fly off the handle worse than Eggbert," the farmer pointed out.

"I am not looking for a girlfriend," Jackie asserted.

"Why not, you ain't getting any younger. Besides, your lifestyle probably requires a girl that's dangerous," Farmer MacDonald insisted.

"I thought you came for tractors?" Jackie moaned; it clearly was going to be one of those days.

"Aiyah!" Uncle cried from the main shop. Jackie held up a hand, excusing himself to see if he was needed for damage control.

The only mess he found though was the cards scattered on the floor, the rooster on the counter likely the cause. Three cards were glowing and started to fill in.

"Hey, I saw magic cards on those Japanese cartoons the nephew likes so much. What kind of critters you have in 'em?" Farmer MacDonald asked.

_Later:_

Jackie and Viper made their way through the Museum of Natural History. The displays of long perished beasts' remains and recreations of past eras cast a spooky aura over the establishment. Though the thief and reluctant adventurer were quite immune to such from their own experiences. Their flashlights cut through the darkness, marking their attention as they searched.

"I could see a mask in a museum, that's what happened in Japan after all. But why here? This is science, not history," Viper asked. Tohru was waiting outside; a back up while Uncle was preparing a second helping of the removal potion, just in case, before joining them. Jackie hoped neither wizard would find it necessary to enter the museum.

"They may have something on cultures, or it could be a decoration in someone's office. The cards don't lie, it's here," Jackie assured her.

"Well 'here' covers a lot of ground. And when Jade shows up she can sniff it out or something and we have to deal with another thug with-" she cut herself off as Jackie killed his flashlight from examining a T-Rex skeleton. She heard it too – someone… no, several someones coming.

Jackie moved to hide behind one of the T-Rex legs while Viper slipped behind an educational display with a cartoon purple dinosaur displayed on it. Both watched intently as a faint outline appeared.

Too big for Jade, too small for Hak Foo, an Enforcer, or one of Jade's favored Shadowkhan, they decided. Their intense squinting followed the figure to the wall and then blinded them as the lights flipped on.

"Ah!" they both exclaimed, slipping from their hiding places in a combination of small pain and bigger surprise.

"Well that's better. There you are, hope we're not interrupting. Ah well, museum's not appropriate place for stuff like that anyway," Farmer MacDonald mused as Eggbert rode through the entranceway on Mordecai.

"I thought we ditched him?" Viper asked Jackie, glancing his way. Fortunately the farmer was oblivious and did not hear her.

"We lost track of ya for a bit there, but luckily Moredcai has some truffle boar in him. That boar was blue ribbon too," the farmer boasted as the hog let out a squeal as if in agreement. Tohru walked in, sending an "I'm sorry smile" to the thief and hero.

"Please, we are in the middle of something," Jackie tried to reason with the farmer, who was now taking in the exhibits casually.

"I'll say, but the more the merrier," Jade calked out. Everyone's attention slipped to the entrance beyond the T-Rex, where Jade stood flanked by Right and Hak Foo. Viper was the only one to notice the hand fans tucked into her belt, shifting her stance a bit in case it was a new trick they would have to deal with.

"Jade," Jackie greeted her as she smiled, walking into the room. She glanced up at the huge skeleton as Scruffy scampered past her to sniff at its colossal toes.

"Don't let him chew on the artifacts!" Jackie objected reflexively. Jade snickered at that, and threw back her hood. She smirked, the light catching her scarred brow as her eyes seemed to brighten for a moment.

"Jackie, you can't order me around, much less my dog. If he wants that pile of bones I'll have it wrapped up and set for him. I'm that cool of a master," Jade remarked.

"Spoiling your animals doesn't make ya a good keeper. It's knowing when to indulge them and when to push 'em that makes ya good," Farmer MacDonald intruded on the discussion.

"Well, if it isn't the farmer, and some of the other mascots. It's been awhile, how's the farm life treating you?" Jade asked, without any real hostility.

"Good enough; you've gone all Darth Vader I see, with one of them Emperor hoods too," the farmer answered in a like manner.

"Nonsense, I'm neither burned nor wrinkled," Jade dismissed the notion, waving her hand in front of her chest.

"Yet, that wizard was ugly as heck, and everything about dark magic and stuff says it comes back to bite you the end. Playing with fire's a lot like playing with darkness I imagine," the farmer pointed out, adjusting his cap. Jade's eyes narrowed and the atmosphere grew tense. It seemed the banter phase of the encounter was over.

"Find the mask," Jade told her minions as she rose into the air, kicking up some dust. The pointy smile she gave the heroes was blatantly malevolent as she pulled out the fans from her belt.

"You should be pleased Jackie, I've been studying," Jade told them, flipping the fans open. Tohru felt a willy and realized what had been feeling off.

"Jackie, those fans are magic!" Tohru warned him. Jade smirked wider and lashed out, slashing the air with the right fan. A black crescent erupted in its wake and shot outward. With a cry of surprise, Jackie leapt from its path as the energy destroyed a caveman exhibit.

"So much for evolution," the farmer commented, still unphased. Jade popped up next to him, looking thoughtful.

"Eh, I prefer creation stories anyway, magic and all," Jade added, before smacking him over the head with a closed fan. With a pained grunt, the farmer grabbed his head as Tohru stepped up, reaching for Jade while his free hand held a charged blowfish.

Jade spun the left hand fan, tossing it into the air like boomerang with it striking the sumo's nose before returning to hand. Rubbing his nose, he saw Jade was gone.

"No more backfires; it really does help to read the manual. Who knew?" Jade laughed, revealing herself to be sitting on top the T-Rex skull.

She saw Hak Foo fighting Jackie amidst another skeleton, while Right was being harassed by Viper pelting onions. She frowned when he turned his attention to the thief; she had told him to focus on the mask. Her reprimand died in her throat when the farmer spoke up again.

"Didn't you fellas say something about a mask?" he asked, holding up the yellow mask from the rubble of the exhibit Jade had destroyed. He held everyone's shocked attention, until Jade broke from the surprise.

"No way… GET HIM!" Jade bellowed. She sent another shadow crescent at the farmer, only for it to be split by Tohru's chi blast, barely cracking the floor where the two halves hit.

"They mustn't get that mask," Tohru told the farmer as he shifted into a side-guarding stance. Jade stood up and stepped off the T-Rex head, floating down as a nonexistent wind seemed to blow about her. Her attention was on him, not the mask.

"Fan vs. fish; I wasn't planning on an early showdown but if you insist…" Jade growled.

"Rabbit leaps over rock!" Hak Foo cried, landing between Tohru and the farmer. Tohru made to turn but a new crescent of shadow forced him to split Jade's magic again.

"You're one of those colorful kind of characters," Farmer MacDonald commented, backing up as Hak Foo advanced on him.

"Crow pecks hay seed!" Hak Foo shouted, leaping with one hand pulled back for a strike. Before he could connect, a rooster plowed into his face. Landing poorly, he tore the chicken from his face.

"I'll take that, thank you!" Jackie apologized, plucking the mask from MacDonald's hand and running for the exit.

"Hey! Running away is no way to impress a lady!" the farmer objected.

"But keeping dark forces from mask is," Uncle shot back, taking issue with the outsider usurping his nagging rights. The old chi wizard fired off his own chi blast as he walked into the chamber the way Jade had come. Jade turned and opened a fan and swat it aside, destroying yet another exhibit.

"Ha! It's not just a killer offense it great de-!" Jade was cut off as Tohru took advantage of her distraction to nail her with a chi blast of his own. Jade fell back at the strike and hit a support for the gigantic dinosaur display, bending it. Flexing her back, Jade pulled herself out of the dent and brushed her hood back, opening her vision a bit wider. She glanced to Right pursuing Jackie and keeping him from escaping, while Hak Foo battled Viper, damaging more museum property than the thief.

"Bull in China shop," Jade snickered at the vandalism. Her expression grew serious at the two wizards moving to flank her, chi spells charged.

"Villain rants, I really need to stop doing that," Jade admonished herself. At some unseen signal, both wizards fired off their green spells and Jade spun her fans opened. The spells rebounded from her whirl, striking the skeleton supports before she landed in a crouch and sheathed her fans like a gunslinger.

"See? The right accessory trumps seafood. What did you think to accomplish with that anyway?" Jade mocked. Then the supports started to groan, drawing all three magic users' attention up as the skeleton began to fall.

"Oh," a wide-eyed Jade whispered, pulling her hood back up. The skeleton collapsed on her, to the horror of the heroes as dust rose from the fall.

"Jade!" Jackie and Tohru screamed in tandem. Tohru rushed to the ancient bones and began tossing them aside, while Jackie looked on in shock, until a sharp kick from Right sent the mask out of his hand and spinning through the air.

Viper reeled back from a successful head-butt from Hak Foo.

"Mongoose strikes cobra!" Hak Foo prepared to follow up, before seeing the mask flying through the air.

"Terrier chases bird!" he called out, leaving Viper to pursue his true quarry. Snatching the mask from the air, he ran to the remaining skeleton and hastily climbed away from all potential hazards to his wearing it.

"Monkey gets his fruit!" Hak Foo declared atop the skull, bringing the mask to his face.

Right's spinning kick struck Hak Foo's hand, sending the mask flying as the mercenary cried out. To the flame haired man's credit, the cry was more outrage than pain.

Jackie and Viper scrambled for the spot the mask was heading for. Viper altered her course a bit, accounting for the slide when it hit, only for the sound of wood on tile to never come. A pair of blue hands burst from the ground and caught the mask from the air. Jade's head followed the hands as she rose from the shadow cast by Right above. The heroes skidded to a halt as Jade brushed her hair some and pulled her hood back up.

"Well, that was a close shadow dive, and to think I thought you a tamed giant Tohu," Jade grinned. Her eyes glittered with amusement as the chi wizard turned to look at her unharmed, still holding a large rib.

"Left, Scruffy!" Jade called out, following with a whistle. With a bark, the faithful mutt ran up to his master, abandoning the dinosaur bone he had been licking. Left dropped from the ceiling, a dog carrier of all things tucked under his arm.

"Good boy! I apologize in advance for this," Jade cooed to Scruffy, kneeling to pet the dog with her free hand. As if he understood her words, he cocked his head, puzzled. Jade froze for a moment, long enough for Viper to guess what was going to happen. Before the thief could act or warn anyone though, Jade moved, slapping the mask on her dog's face.

Left was quick, snatching up the dog the instant the mask made contact, and hastily, but gently as ordered, shoving it into the metal dog carrier. Jade reached out to close the door and lock it into place, wincing back as her fingers started to steam at the touch.

"What are you doing kid?" Viper demanded. Jade regarded Viper, seeming a bit offended at the tone.

"Learning from mistakes," Jade shrugged.

"Animal testing! Lousy way to treat a fine dog," the farmer stepped up, looking quite angry for once.

"I was using people, what are you on about?" Jade asked, her tone suggesting not caring.

"A good dog's faithful, but they ain't stupid. If you're not worth the trouble they won't stick around, specially if it's for your own good," MacDonald declared. Jade raised an eyebrow at that and stepped back into Left's shadow, sinking into it out of sight. The ninja leapt back into another shadow and vanished with his cargo.

"I wanted that mask," Hak Foo growled from where he laid. Right planted a foot on him and the two sank into the shadows.

"Get over it," Right suggested before vanishing.

_Windsor Mansion:_

The Enforcers shifted warily on their feet as the dog carrier jerked around on the conference table, the demon dog within clearly taking exception. The booming roars from such a small container were particularly creepy. Hak Foo fumed quietly against a wall, radiating nothing so much as discontent. Blankman stood near the Enforcers, though unlike them he seemed unfazed, holding a briefcase in one hand and the other tucked behind his back, as was his habit.

Jade sat at the head of the table, her elbows on the polished wood, her head resting on her laced fingers, watching the struggle with clear amusement as her bodyguards stood at her sides.

"Jackie was right, planning ahead does pay off," she commented.

Standing up on her chair, Jade pulled out her right fan and began to wave it about calmly as she chanted. While the words began to blur together, the fan moved steady and rhythmic, kicking up a gentle wind that could have been pleasant had those in attendance not guessed it heeded something. The chanting stopped and Jade snapped the fan closed, smashing the energy on it together. It escaped in a black bolt that twisted in the air to pass through the barred entrance of the carrier.

"If you can hear me, stop messing around and talk. You're not getting out of there without my leave," Queen Jade laughed.

Surprising to everyone, even her, the container actually stopped shaking, facing away from her.

"Would you mind turning me around?"

Jade grinned, revealing a row of pointy teeth and nodded to Right. The Shadowkhan gingerly grabbed the unmarked handle and lifted the carrier slightly to turn it. Jade noted his care; Left had not seemed so concerned with the thing, he certainly had not reacted like her to Verde's magic. These thoughts were driven from her mind by the sight of the Oni hound now facing her behind bars.

He was not recognizable as her faithful Scruffy. He was larger for one, an uncomfortable fit in the carrier. The mask had fused, giving him a black face and too large mouth with black horns. And oddly enough, the changes carried over to the rest of the body with a mane of sorts and the gray fur turned yellow.

Was it because of Scruffy's own magic, or could the masks more easily overwrite animals than humans, Jade wondered?

"Good evening, General," Jade dipped her head in respect. It sat awkwardly on its haunches, the size up making it crammed in quarters; still it was clearly trying to bring some dignity to the table.

"Greetings, young General. I could say the same, but your hospitality leaves something to be desired," the General spoke with some refined tone. Jade doubted its sincerity, though it was nice the spell she slapped together from the teachings worked.

"Well, I have had some issues with colleagues stabbing me in the back, so some precautionary measures seemed prudent. You did wake up in quite a mood yourself after all," Jade pointed out. She leaned back in her throne; it felt good to be in control of the situation.

"Moving from one imprisonment to another is quite frustrating, I'm sure you'll find," the General grumbled. Jade chuckled at that, no one else sharing her amusement.

"That, is something I don't intend to find out. But it brings me to why I wanted to talk with you," Jade leaned forward, peering directly into the cage.

"The King has instructed us not to follow Kaito and Ikazuki's example; in the event of taking full control of host we are to treat you as a peer until the quest is complete and a more permanent arrangement can be reached," he told her. He didn't sound too pleased, which was either very good or very bad.

"Does he? How generous, and how obedient you are to a fellow captive," Jade leaned back. Her hand rose – once it would have brushed her bangs, but now it was unobstructed, a knuckle instead tracing her scar along her brow.

"He remains king, and he would like you to release Ikazuki," the General pressed.

"I like Ikazuki where he is; any pacts would be dependent on him being free to make them and he is strong enough to ensure they favor him. Why should I open the door up for repeat?" Jade asked.

"The King's prison grows weaker, you could speak with him on the astral twilight for further assurance," the dog General supplied. Jade pretended to consider that before answering.

"How about another offer? One from me to you?" Jade inquired. The General sensed he was finally getting to the heart of the matter.

"I'm listening," the General answered.

"Good, because I hate to repeat myself, especially to a captive audience," Jade grinned wide, showing off her pointed teeth.

"You and your fellows weren't always masks correct?" Jade asked.

"You know damn well-" the demon dog growled.

"Exactly, so this begs the question, why are you now reduced to dependence on lesser beings? Under whose banner did you march into this situation?" Jade continued. She lifted an eyebrow to the General, who frowned deeper.

"The King's," he answered.

"And your answer when you get free is to follow him again, a fine prospect for a dark and shady future," Jade exclaimed mockingly.

"And you think you could do better?" the General asked, with equally civil tones.

"Well, I did play a vital role in defeating the Demon Sorcerers, Daolon Wong, and numerous lesser troublemakers. And that was when I was only human. I've been able to keep this operation going despite some setbacks too. Not too mention I actually have some idea how the world works these day.

"How's that for a résumé against a king who gets you reduced to accessories?" Jade inquired.

"And what would I get out of your rule?" he asked, affecting boredom. Jade smiled, revealing her own set of pearly white pincers again.

"Aside from the benefits of success, if I don't live up to the hype it would probably be easier to overthrow me and sit yourself on the throne," Jade offered.

"Huhuhuhu, a bold one. His Majesty made similar promises once, I recall. Very well, if you gain further support for this I will support you. But only if you also first gain the tablets," the General decided.

"Care to tell me where they are?" Jade asked hopefully.

"That would hardly make for a good test," the General smirked at her.

"Fair enough, I suppose. For now we need to get you off my dog and on the redhead," Jade decided. And she had just the location in mind to draw Jackie and company out.

"Might I suggest the alliance terms be put down in writing?" Blankman spoke up. He had already opened his briefcase to layout papers and pens. Jade suppressed a groan at more paperwork, was it really necessary?

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

"You did what! ?" Jackie's scream nearly rattled the pawnshop shelves. Farmer MacDonald gave his foot a light kick.

"Quit your bellyaching, the ladies don't like a guy who makes a fuss. Less it's them he's making a fuss over," the farmer conceded.

"Aiyah!" Uncle yelled, grabbing a vase from the air it had been floating in. Bad enough to have animals in the shop, but enchanted noble animals were even worse.

"You really should have asked us about this," Tohru stated, emerging from the back with a vial of the new removal potion; you could never have too much of it. Viper looked slightly offended at the comment, before deciding to have some fun at Jackie's expense, crossing the room to lean into the archaeologist's comfort zone.

"It's a good idea, you have to admit, and since you would have said no, I thought it was better to seek forgiveness than permission. Am I not forgiven?" Viper asked, leaning closer as Jackie edged away. A rather impressive and amusing display.

"Don't play hard to get, that's her part," the farmer griped.

"Bah, man should get women to chase him, pursuit lacks dignity," Uncle jabbed as he held his broom threateningly as Eggbert floated past.

"Captain Black is already bending the rules by letting you travel with us, and now you steal from the vault!" Jackie moaned, taking a seat wondering how he would justify this to his friend, who would in turn have to explain it to his skeptical superiors.

"I only took the two… by the way, is there a blast door or something on that demon? Listening to him rant was the worst part," Viper answered Jackie, taking a seat next to him.

"Besides, I guarantee Jade won't see this coming – barnyard air force. Whatever Shadowkhan she has this time – or have her – won't be prepared for two mystic animals," Viper pointed out.

"Except she has a noble animal wearing an Oni mask," Jackie deadpanned. His phone rang and he could guess who was calling.

"Captain Black, I can explain… what? !" Jackie went from apologetic to alarmed in his trademarked manner.

_Moose World:_

'Bat Khan, awesome,' Jade had thought when the General revealed his troops. They were certainly impressive. Thy were fairly close in build to her own ninja, but thinner, and they had bat like wings on their backs and a more streamlined look overall.

And they could fly. They could fly very well.

Jade inhaled the contents of the souvenir large soda, watching the last of the people flee. It was quite fun to watch these dark force events when you weren't on the receiving end, she decided.

The aspiring General of Shinobi was seated on a concession stand counter, her hood pulled back as she helped herself to the stock of the stand. Considering all the money she had spent at Moose Worlds, or rather Jackie's money, she figured this was owed.

"It is an impressive sight," she thought aloud as the now enlarged demon dog landed at the apex of a roller coaster and roared, shaking the structure. Hak Foo grunted, leaning to her left.

"Oh, quit your whining, with all this chaos the cavalry will storm in here any second and rip off the mask, and then you get your shot at the big time," Jade rolled her eyes.

"Order up!" Ratso called, coming up to the counter from the kitchen with a tray loaded with goodies. Jade took the lion's share, while Chow and Ratso grabbed their own food. Blankman was sitting things out again, but Jade now wondered if her Shadowkhan ate? She decided to ask them after this business was wrapped up.

"Hey, if this drags out, why don't we grab some free rides?" Ratso suggested. Jade brightened at the idea, but before she could respond Chow spoke up.

"Chans at twelve o'clock!" he exclaimed. Jade turned the way her shortest Enforcer was pointing and sure enough the 'good guys' were walking down the pedestrian lane. That was a bit strange, she noted. Scarfing a final chili dog and chasing it down with a swig of soda, she walked out into the lane to face them.

"Playing hooky to go to a theme park, you haven't changed that much Jade," Viper pointed out.

"I don't know whether to be insulted you didn't put in the effort to sneak up, or flattered that you realized it would be futile getting the drop on ninja," Jade shot back, deciding to overlook some facts in the bargain.

"Call it off Jade, you're endangering people," Jackie demanded, pointing to the Oni hound that had perched on a nearby roller coaster arch, surrounded by a row of Bat Khan.

"Jackie, do you really think that kind of argument would work? How did you ever get by without me?" Jade shook her head. She turned her head as her Shadowkhan strode out of the shadows to stand behind her.

"You guys stay out of this, I want to see how I hold up against them now that I have the spell issues sorted out," Jade spoke over her shoulder to her bodyguards and minions.

"They are four, and two are wizards, my Queen," Left spoke up. Jade raised an eyebrow; bowing their heads they both leaped backward into the shadows.

"You think a few days reading a tablet makes you a wizard, Jade?" Uncle demanded, sounding a bit offended.

"Nope," Jade answered. Striking a one-footed stance, she swung her right fan, putting her whole body into the motion, a crescent of darkness filling the street as it rushed toward the heroes.

"That does," Jade clarified. The two wizards drew their puffer fishes and fired off green chi, canceling out the spell with a small whirlwind kicking things up before the air cleared. And showed Jade to be nowhere in sight.

She stood on the scaffolding of the roller coaster, the Oni hound perched just above her. She could tell they hadn't spotted her yet; oh wait, now they had, she amended to herself.

"I will not be caught willingly, I have my pride," the General growled.

"Fine, no sense making this easy. Once they tip their hand and break out the potion we'll steal it and one of my men can do the switch," Jade sighed. That wasn't quite true. She wouldn't mind letting Jackie think he won only to snatch her own victory. Besides, the more Jackie seemed a threat, the more value she would gain among the Generals.

With a roar, the Bat Khan took flight, closely followed by their General. At least with Scruffy immortal she didn't have to worry about the General's recklessness hurting him. Speaking of hurt, she grinned as she slipped back into the shadows.

She emerged in the shadow of a moose statue on a rooftop and casually walked out onto a flagpole flying the Marvin Moose banner. Ninja balance, gotta love it, she thought as she looked down on the battle below.

The Bat Khan were pursuing Jackie and Viper as planned, leaving the wizards to provide cover fire as Jackie fought them off and Viper led a squad off into the stands.

"I'll see you anti-aircraft fire, and raise you a sniper," Jade smiled, raising her fans. They had lost track of her again, wide open, this was going to be-

Her thoughts were cut off as the Khan harassing Jackie poofed.

"What?" Jade sputtered. The wizards hadn't done that; they could only pick them off one at a time. A new spell, she wondered.

"What nonsense is this? !" the airborne General roared. Jade looked to where the Oni hound was in the air and saw of all things a rooster riding a bored looking pig up to face it.

"What? When?" Jade tried to process what she was seeing. They actually pulled off a great tactic like this? This was her forte! How could they even come up with this sitting in their little boxes? !

The General flapped up away from a heat blast from Mordecai only to be arrested in his flight; that would be Eggbert Jade thought. The General struggled in the air until Mordecai took a well-placed shot, sending the demon reeling. Until Eggbert caught and held him in place again.

"They're noble animals! Don't fight head on, gang up!" Jade yelled out.

"I see you liked my surprise Jade, here's another," Viper said from her spot on the roof ledge behind Jade, the would-be Queen realized that she had lost track of the thief for quite some time.

Jade turned from the pig-rooster air fighter to face the new threat. Too late, her fans held out were too distant to shield her face as Viper's onion struck home. One couldn't get used to this feeling; her eyes felt like they were burning, and the streams of juice on her face left itching in their wake.

With a high pitched roar, Jade lashed out blind with her fans, the second strike cutting through her flagpole perch rather than striking Viper. And just like that she was falling.

Thank gods for levitation, she managed to think as she slowed her descent enough to just roll off the fall. The burning faded, but she still couldn't see. The Queen felt a shadow to her left, warm and inviting, promising a swift purge of the vile weed blocking her vision and burning her eyes.

She scampered, not quite coming to her feet in her eagerness to escape the pain. Thus distracted, she did not realize she was pursued until a giant hand closed on her cloak. Whirling and setting herself spinning in the air, Jade reached for the clasp. Too slow this time. A powerful arm pressed her against a hardened chest; she was in Tohru's hold and he was taking no chances.

Jade hissed, trying to glare through the skewered vision of vague shapes and shades.

"I have super strength remember? !" Jade hissed. Bracing her feet against Tohru, she struggled against the hold. The sumo's hold loosened, then slowly tightened. Stunned amazement momentarily distracted her from the pain on her face.

"How! ?" Jade demanded, practically spitting the word.

"You're still a child Jade. Even with super strength, you are still not stronger then me," Tohru stated determinedly. Jade gave another high-pitched roar at this turn of events. Something hit Tohru; he cried out in pain and his grip loosened, just enough.

Queen Jade broke free; she didn't bother trying to get up, scampering on hands and knees to the shadow and diving into it.

The warmth washed over her, affirming her escape into her element, as if in answer to her pain a tendril embraced her face, consuming the vile substance and rubbing away the irritation. The sight of the swirling shades of darkness was welcome. She frowned, realizing she had dropped her fans, probably when Tohru grabbed her. Jade willed her destination to be close to them as she left the shadows to return to the battle.

Tohru heard something snap in the Bat Khan and found himself holding smoke. Stepping out of the rapidly dissipating cloud, he saw Jade was gone.

_Meanwhile:_

"How can I hold her?" Tohru pondered. The masks were a problem, but curing Jade was his goal, and to do that they needed her. Spotting something to the side, he saw a steel dog carrier of all things lying on the ground.

"Wait, I've seen this before," the wizard realized. Picking up the cage he squinted at the inscriptions, his eyes alight in recognition.

_Nearby:_

Jackie cried out as the Bat Khan granted his request to let go, leaving him to plunge to the ground stories below. He looked around frantically for something to arrest or break his fall; no such luck for once.

Closing his eyes in anticipation of impact, he realized it should have happened already. He opened one eye to see the ground an arm's length below him as he hung in the air.

"Okay, it was a good idea," Jackie readily conceded. As if that was a cue, the talisman power lifted and he dropped.

Jackie took a deep breath, muttering thanks to Mordecai and Eggbert before getting to his feet. The Bat Khan were thinning out; the demon General seemed more focused on his dogfight with the noble animals than replenishing his army. But one roar and they would be back to square one. A roar seemed to answer his thoughts, but no Khan rose from the shadows – one of the demon's wings was burning and it crashed into a stand, scattering moose plushies everywhere.

Deciding it was now or never, Jackie pulled out the vial Uncle had given him and poured out its contents on his hands. He broke into a run as the demon shook off the debris; ears perking up, it turned to face him.

Red eyes widened at the sight of his glowing hands, as Uncle started to chant and Tohru protected his sensei from stragglers. Flexing a newly grown wing, the possessed dog leapt into the air.

"Bad dog! Heel!" Jackie called after it almost reflexively… only for it to slam into the ground at his feet. He looked up to see the barnyard duo looking down on him.

"You've gotten better at that," Jackie complimented the stoic rooster.

"Jackie! Mask now!" Viper called as she jumped down from a stall top. Jackie grabbed the horns as the demon struggled against the telekinesis of the rooster. Letting out a roar, a dozen new Bat Khan rose from the shadows.

"Destroy him!" the General bellowed. The Khan took flight, claws outstretched. The animal duo spun in a circle, mowing down the first rank even as they lost their hold on the General, who reared back with Jackie still holding onto his horns.

It kicked and bucked, trying to throw Jackie off as the mask loosened. That same momentum, as the hero held on, gave the last bit needed.

"NOOO!" the General cried out as the mask slipped away from the face beneath. Jackie fell backward as the dog shrank. The horns he was holding also shrank, letting the mash slip from his grip.

Landing hard on his back, Jackie rubbed the back of his head, and realized his hand was empty. A light bark told Jackie he had succeeded in removing the mask. Sitting up, his jaw almost dropped when he saw how very close he was to being back to square one.

"Scruffy no, bad dog!" Jackie called out as the dog ran off with the mask. Viper looked up from the recovering Enforcers and saw what the commotion was about… they really needed to send that dog to obedience school. The thief's instincts snapped and her right hand smacked to her belt over Jade's hand, about to pluck the fans away.

"Not bad kid, but still not good enough," Viper declared, meeting Jade's frown with one of her own.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Jade answered. Her lips twitched up revealing a single fang. Viper pulled her hand way, not quite sure why, but the dark energy that erupted from the fans on her belt shocked her regardless. The thief fell to her hands and knees as Jade pulled her fans loose.

"These aren't some treasure you can swipe, these are mine in a very mystical sense," Jade explained. Leaving Viper panting, she stepped out into the thoroughfare and saw Scruffy doing some keep away with Jackie.

'Where's Hak Foo?" Jade wondered, before dismissing the idea.

She was pleased to see Scruffy had the mask and was not responding to Jackie's enticements.

"Good Scruffy, here boy!" Jade called out. Scruffy put down the mask and looked from it to his blue master with glowing red eyes, and back to the mask. Then he looked to Jackie.

"Scruffy, what's the hold up?" Jade asked, confused. Her dog wasn't one to just sit around. Jackie was silent, daring to hope what he thought was going to happen would. Scruffy gave a whine, looking to Jade before picking up the mask and running to Jackie. Jade's jaw dropped, a good bit more than was normal.

"Good dog," Jackie took the mask, petting the noble animal's head. It was as much a statement as a compliment. Farmer MacDonald's warning words drifted back to Jade, but were quickly burned away by swelling anger.

"TRAITOR!" Queen Jade bellowed. She pivoted on the spot, putting all her weight behind swinging the fans as her anger poured into them. It was only slightly larger than normal, but far darker and swifter. Jackie leapt up into a stand, which collapsed when the wave hit it, but he fell in its wake as it carved a path of destruction through Moose World.

And amidst the destruction, Scruffy sat unharmed, though his head was lowered, looking at her as if… as if she had just done what she did.

"I…" Jade whispered, her arms falling limply to her side as her brain failed a gearshift. Thus disarmed of wits, she didn't notice the giant sneaking up behind her until he was ready to strike. Looking up out of instinct, she was confused by what she saw before the opened dog carrier slammed down on her.

"Oh, that's not good," Chow remarked, peering around a stand with the other Enforcers.

"She should have given me the mask," Hak Foo stated. The mercenary leaned against the back of the stand the Enforcers were hiding behind.

"Yeah, telling us to sit out, not one of her better ideas," Finn agreed.

"Bad ideas happen – I once tried to grow a mohawk in high school," Ratso spoke up.

Back in the street, Tohru flipped the carrier over, revealing Jade's feet kicking in the opening. Tohru slammed the grated door shut, forcing her feet into the warded container.

"Hey, let me out! You think this can hold me? !" Jade's muffled cries rose from the carrier.

"You thought it could hold a General," Tohru answered as he smashed the lock, muttering a spell to infuse some of his own chi magic in the process. He tucked it under his arm, giving a sigh of relief. He had done it.

Jade gave a muffled roar both in anger as her super strength refused to come, and for another purpose. This was far from over, she seethed.

"Tohru, behind you!" Viper cried out in warning as Left and Right sprang from the sumo's shadow. Uncle fired off a chi blast, only for Right to deflect it as Left leapt and struck the rear of the carrier with a kick. Sparks flew from his boot, but the carrier was sent skidding from the giant's grip onto the pavement.

"No!" Tohru bellowed. Left used his momentum to grab the large wizard's shoulder and propel himself up and over. Rolling on the ground, he snatched up the handle and ran for the nearest shadow. Ignoring the smoke rising from his hand, he dashed into the shadow and was gone.

"Don't get cocky; next time we pull out the stops," Right told the heroes before sinking back into the shadow.

Tohru fell to his knees, staring at the spot Left and Jade had disappeared into.

"I had her," he whispered as Jackie and the others walked up to him.

_Windsor Mansion:_

Finn had a GED. It wasn't something he thought about much, true; Ratso didn't have one and he had no idea where Chow stood. But once, the fact that unlike many flunky class crooks he had a diploma had been a point of pride.

Oddly enough, history had been his favorite class. After all, wars and the big shots of Christmas Past had at least the possibility of being entertaining. And there had been the chances for movies and documentaries – even if they were boring it at least gave a chance to sleep.

Right now though, he was trying to recall his unremarkable High School English experience. 'Cause frankly, he might be able to write a decent book with all the strange and exciting – but mostly strange – stuff he had run across over the years.

Case in point, the dog carrier covered in magic markings resting on the conference table. Which currently contained his boss, who was cramped in with her feet pushed against the door.

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Jade bellowed. The venom in her voice made the other Enforcers cringe, while Finn looked thoughtful, not intending to touch this problem with a meter stick.

Blankman had vanished shortly after their return, something about making a phone call. Hak Foo had vanished at some point, likely miffed about loosing another mask; Finn hadn't gotten a mask yet either, but he didn't keep whining about it. Left was examining the container, tapping it in places with the pommel of his right sword. Blue magic sparked up with each contact, the same as with their other efforts to destroy the magic box.

"What are you doing?" Right finally asked his brother.

"Locating a weak spot," Left answered simply, not lifting his attention from the task. Right nodded, accepting the statement.

"Hurry up, I need to use the toilet!" Jade roared. Half the double door opened, letting Blankman walk in and lean over to address Jade's feet.

"I am afraid Monsieur Verde seems to be out and about. He left no indication to his return. Without full knowledge of the shadow magic he employed, I am reluctant to mix my own magics," Blankman told her. She answered with a piece of profanity that made the Enforcers nearly blush.

The doors opened again and this time Hak Foo entered, holding a rock twice the size of his head.

"Otter cracks open oyster!" Hak Foo shouted, before Blankman grabbed his shoulders.

"Your enthusiasm is laudable, but perhaps Mr. Left's plan should be examined?" Blankman suggested. All eyes turned to Left, who sheathed his swords to pull out a stick of dynamite from his robes.

"Examination complete, carry on sir," Blankman let Hak Foo go as Right nicked the dynamite from a deflated Left.

"Where do ninjas get dynamite?" Finn asked the world.

"It's always the quiet ones," Ratso chimed in.

"What's going on? I can't see! I need to pee!" Jade yelled, muffled by the metal and her crammed body.

_Elsewhere:_

The streetlights hummed as they cast the sidewalks of the city in florescent light, sending the realm beyond their circles into deeper darkness. Beneath one such dispeller and deepener of darkness, two men stepped out of the night.

Monsieur Verde pushed up the brim of his hat with the fist of his healed hand. Its brief state of inaction had given him a new appreciation for a healthy state, and the painful injury and healing had given him a new priority.

But for now, he was amused and not showing it by the subject of his rendezvous. It was a bit nostalgic, taking him back to the cheap TV set of his childhood, watching Flash Gordon's adventures when his brothers were too busy to demand sports. It seemed ages ago, and absurdly near, in a way that had nothing to do with magic. And now, here he was, cutting a deal with Ming the Merciless' Goth twin.

'Dang, life is just chock full of surprising crap,' Verde thought to himself. The Asian dark wizard bowed slightly in greeting, hands pressed in front of his scrawny chest. Verde spruced up his own slight bow with a tip of his hat. Showmanship, he felt, was an essential part of a wizard's work and lifestyle.

"You are on time," the flashily dressed man with the goatee remarked. It didn't sound like a compliment, but Verde decided to treat it as one.

"Punctuality is a sign of respect, and I always respect business. It's what separates me from those self-destructive wannabes. But we both have places to be and questionable agendas to pursue. So let's dispense with the formalities," Verde cheerfully declared, tossing his hat back onto his head.

His fellow wizard nodded in approval, or acknowledgement, and reached up a billowing sleeve to pull out a single long white feather with the stained and pointed tip of a quill. Verde smiled still wider and took off his hat to pull out a tiny vial with a simple cork from its depths. Tilting it in the light, what appeared to be empty was revealed to contain a single tiny black hair.

"Hair of the shadow elemental that calls herself a queen. Acquired at no small personal discomfort I might add," Verde declared. He left out how this was a runner up prize to his true goal of binding her with a touch. Revenge would come later, especially on that pudgy nerd, but for now he needed more power before challenging that particular obstacle.

"The feather from the Shadow Man's hat. Not only worn, but also used to write his contracts. It is drawn to its master; with it you will be able to find the power of his essence," the royally attired wizard stated.

They took three steps forward and hastily exchanged the items, tensed for a backstab. They stepped back just as quickly, each examining their purchase from the trade.

"Happy hunting, Ming," Verde smiled before stepping back into the darkness, his shadow lingering for a moment to give a possibly mocking salute before following after. The other departed without comment or reaction, vanishing in a flare that erupted from one of his medallions.

And the world slumbered on, unknowing.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

The pig symbol flashed on the talisman and Jackie pulled it back from Mordecai's head. He gave a small sigh of relief as the power was returned to stone from the noble animal. The heroes stood in the shop, Viper holding the Rooster talisman to the bird itself perched on her shoulder, Farmer MacDonald lifting the once again flightless bird off it.

"Well Chans it was quite a time, but I got appointments to keep and greenhorns to leave in the dust at the pull," the farmer declared.

"Good riddance, Uncle's shop is not a barn," Uncle exclaimed, broom at the ready for any parting gifts.

"I'll say; I'd never keep this much junk in a good barn.

"Best of luck with the ladies Jackie, you're going to need it," he tipped his cap to Jackie. With a hand raised in farewell, MacDonald took his leave, the blue ribbon hog following him through the door.

"Tohru use the spray deodorant… Tohru?" Uncle called. Turning, he found he sumo sitting at the counter drawing on a piece of paper.

"Tohru?" Uncle inquired, looking at the strange designs his apprentice was creating.

"It may be dark magic, but it's our first clue on how to trap a high level Shadowkhan," Tohru explained as he drew what he could remember of the spells on the carrier. With this and the scrolls the Sages gave to him, he felt he was finally making headway rather than just chasing after Jade.

"Uncle does not know this magic," Uncle conceded, intrigued.

"So Jackie, looks like you're out of the matchmaker's line of fire," Viper remarked as Jackie watched the exchange between the wizards.

"And not a moment too soon," Jackie agreed wearily.

"Well, for what it's worth, I don't think you need help landing a girl," Viper told him. He looked to her a bit puzzled, but she only gave a sneaky smile he was learning to be wary of before making her own exit.

_Windsor Mansion:_

Jade sat in her bedroom, passing up the softness of her bed and chairs to prop herself against the wall, sitting with one leg straight on the floorboards, and the other folded before her. The air was heavy, and despite a shower she was near certain the smell remained. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out.

It didn't help.

She could not see the fans resting on her bed, sinking slightly under their weight, but she could feel them. It was powerful magic she was just tapping into; she was certain so long as she wanted them, she would be able to find them even if they vanished to the other side of the world. _Her_ magic, not pilfered from someone else but made by and for her.

Yet it had fallen short. Jade had been defeated. She had pulled a victory eating the mask. She had been taken out by her own mistake and thus the blame for the defeat at the auto plant could be planted on Ratso. Ikazuki had been a tie, with her keeping the mask but unable to make use of it. For all her talk she had only gained the Teachings because for whatever reason its guardian had let her have it. But tonight, she had been involved from start to finish and had played the trump card to give herself a leg up.

And she had lost – her scheme had completely backfired. Scruffy betrayed her, unable to understand the complexity of her plan. Had she not made him immortal? He had never been in danger; it had to be foolishness on his part, for she was certain she had done nothing to warrant her dog's betrayal.

That alone twisted like a knife in her guts. No warm fuzziness was comforting her at the moment, after all.

But the list went on. Her new ally was defeated through use of her own scheme, something that could damage her credibility with the Generals. Her plot for a coup sitting her on the throne seemed more childish and less Machiavellian at the moment.

And of course, the reason she was in a bathrobe; Tohru had caught her in the cage she had built and trapped her in it. Being on the receiving end of twists out of a Saturday morning cartoon was not what she had in mind.

Her employees had failed at each turn to get her out. Faced with such a humiliation, Jade had given into instinct to escape. It had been an . . . interesting experience.

She had gnawed her way out, through the bittersweet metal, and forced herself out a hole barely big enough for her skull.

Frowning further, she pressed her right arm against her torso until she found the right spot and it snapped in, along with her shoulder.

Her still free hand ran over the slight seam marking the popped in appendage and her bizarrely compressed shoulder.

Growling, she grabbed at the seam and the arm popped back into place.

Contorting into a snake thing was not a pleasant surprise. In the astral world the change seemed permanent, and the thought of losing her limbs was something she was not ashamed of calling horrifying.

Her body was a mystery. She was a Shadowkhan, but how much did she know about what that meant? The Teachings dealt only with magic, and they were incomplete.

Left and Right had little to give; while seemingly born with skills and related knowledge, they knew little about their own anatomy, much less hers.

Maybe… maybe she should scale back her plans?

It was hardly what she would call Jade-like, but one thing Jackie had shown her which sticked was a need to change plans. Namely his own reluctance to adapt, in her opinion at least, made it a pit fall to avoid.

So perhaps it was time to review her situation?

Jackie, Tohru, and company were a constant. They simply would not stop hunting her as things were. Also, Viper made them far more effective than she had expected. Not to mention they might be a bit more motivated than usual with a fixation on "saving" her. Which amounted to her insider knowledge, while still being valuable, not the easy win ace she had been counting it as.

Moving on, the Shadowkhan.

The King was imprisoned. Perhaps she could bargain with him? She was certain her life span had increased dramatically; her ascension could be put on hold in order to learn and gain protection from magics like the one a hack like Verde had made. He had not been on Wong's level, yet he could weave a spell that could trap her like that.

Jade hated to admit it, but she was a rookie. Being under someone else was not something she wanted, but it could be a case of lesser evils here.

Yes, perhaps playing the General to this King was a good idea, for now. She wouldn't make the Demon Sorcerer mistake of reaching for the gold right out of the starting gate; unlike them she could learn the lessons of failure, bitter pills that they were.

But first she needed some collateral, proof of her value to secure at least a foreman position closer to Ikazuki's level that Kaito's. But what?

The tablets where a key, but she had on idea how to find them, hers gave no clue. She might end up having to wait until Jackie and company led her to them. Same for the masks, at least until she could approach the King with a deal. Which brought her back to square one. But when life boxes you in, start drawing circles, she thought deviously.

Still angry but with a new sense of satisfaction, Jade crawled into her bed, losing herself in it enormity. Jade, being a clever girl, to say the least, had the beginnings of her plan formed as she drifted off to a dreamless slumber.

* * *

**Dedicated to Esmerelda 'Ezie', 1999-2010.**

**Faithful protector, Pursuer of Birds, and Devourer of Moles.**

**Rest in Peace dear girl.**

**AN:** This one was for you my little furry fury.

Well this chapter was a long time in coming. Between Zim being delayed by RL and computer failure, writers block on my part, and Hunnic plot bunnies this was hard to get done. The farmer and Viper also gave me some grief, at least I think I've seen the last of one of them.

Anyway Jade has a case of highs and lows in this chapter as her goals shift yet again. Jade is to awesome to stick to a formula if it keep failing after all. Next chapter i think will be fairly easy, T-Troop was one of my least favorite episodes while I like Black Magic. Not to mention it was discussed with Nocturne and Zim at length whereas I ended up having to chip away t this chapter for stretches.

Now the chapter after that, 'A matter of Humanity', oh there is a project that makes me tingle. Its been a long time coming, frankly i am a bit nervous about being able to get it right.

In other PDJ news, the forum seems more active. I encourage people to browse the adoption thread. While there are great ideas there its real purpose is to see those ideas turn into stories. So if you find yourself interested please take a gander and consider adoption.


	11. Interlude III

**Disclaimer:**_ I still do not own JCA, as if I could create something that people both liked and could slip by the capitalists. It takes better artists than I._

Betaed by Zim'smostloyalservant

* * *

"Queen of All Oni"

Interlude III

or

_The Art of Not Touching Base_

**Shendu's Evil Palace, now with more fire! :**

In the pits, children and elders sweated and groaned, turning massive wheels to no purpose as ugly lizard men whipped them. Placed high above them on a spiky throne, Shendu sat, basking in the misery.

"Ah, it's good to be bad," he sighed, taking a sip from his coffee mug. The sound of butt whopping drew his attention to the large ornate door nearby, before it burst open.

"I have a door gong," he complained, fanning the resultant smoke away from his face. His eyes widened as the smoke cleared to reveal Queen Jade in full ninja garb, striking a dramatic pose with her fans.

"SHENDU! I have come to claim my rightful place as archenemy!" she shouted as the dragon drained his coffee and tossed the mug to the side. A poor wretch below let out a yelp as it broke against his head. Shendu rose, towering over her.

"A bold claim Jade. How do you plan to do that, WITHOUT PANTS! ?" he roared, pointing at her. Jade glanced down and squawked, realizing her shuriken underwear was bare to the world.

"Gaah! How could I have forgotten my pants! ?" she yelled, pulling her hair.

"Get out of here – no shirt, no shoes, NO SERVICE!" Shendu yelled from behind his counter, pointing to the sign hanging near the order window with his ladle.

"I have those, and good money! Now bring me the ramen!" Jade shouted back, plopping down on one of the red stools stubbornly.

"Pants are implied!" he retorted, crossing his arms over the "KNEEL BEFORE THE COOK" apron.

"Oh yeah? Waiter, do I need pants to eat here?" Jade asked as Daolon Wong in a suit placed a soda bottle in front of her.

"Honestly, I have no idea. Boy! Are pants required?" he asked, turning. They all turned their attention to Valmont, who was busing a table. He looked up, glaring.

"I hate you all," he growled.

"Not an answer!" Shendu roared, breathing fire.

"I'M ON FIRE!" the blazing Valmont yelled as he ran off.

"I'm in a hurry, can we get an executive decision on this?" Jade asked.

"Fine, I'll consult management," Shendu grumbled as Daolon Wong walked off with a fire extinguisher. A door sprouted on the diner/palace walls and opened, revealing a floating red demon head with a white mustache and goatee. He was wearing a blue baseball cap with the word BOSS written on it in white, and looked surprised.

"Boss, are pants required?" Shendu demanded. Tarakudo lifted an eyebrow at the question and looked at Jade, frowning at the counter.

"…I get by without 'em," the floating head answered cautiously.

"HA!" Jade crowed, holding up her popcorn class bowl, which a grumbling Shendu filled with ramen. Rearing her head back, she plunged it into the bowl, slurping the soup.

"Well then, let me introduce myself; I am Tarakudo, King of the Shadowkhan, Lord of All Oni, etc. I am speaking to you through… Are you listening?" he trailed off, drawing closer to the blue girl eating like a pig.

"Hey! I have important stuff to say! Stop eating!"

"…"

"That must be good ramen. Obi-Wan Kenobi never had this problem. You'll have to come up for air sometime!" he grumbled and yelled as she continued guzzling the ramen.

He was considering the merits of blowing up the soup versus a less than favorable introduction, when a bell shook the palace. Jade reared back, her face strangely clean.

"Oh crap, lunch break's over; if I don't get Jackie's homework to Captain Black quick I'll be fired!" Jade yelled. Scooping up a large pile of papers in her arms, she ran out the door.

"What?" Tarakudo asked.

"Get back here, dine and dasher!" Shendu burst through the counter, trampling the floating head, before following Jade out.

"Right, dreamscape, everything is ethereal so nothing is," the King groaned, pulling himself out of the crater he had made on the floor. The next sounding of the bell shattered the scenery, leaving him floating in a white void.

"I guess that was her wake up call. No wonder sensei advised against the dream talking deal, this was useless! And that girl really needs better table manners," he griped.

"I'M STILL ON FIRE!" Valmont screamed, running by burning.

"Okay, I'll just have to wait until either she bites the astral bullet or I break out, whichever comes first," Tarakudo signed. With a puff of smoke he vanished, leaving a burning gangster to run around the void alone.

_Elsewhere, Jade Sea:_

Hero stood atop the mast of his vessel, banner fluttering behind him, manacled hands clasped in front of him as he stared forward into the twilight intently.

"I want a puppy!" a girl shrieked. He would have stumbled as his moment shattered, but his cool was stronger than her… itchiness. Restraining an eye twitch, he glanced down to the deck of the _Failure _where a Jade that was actually the accurate age stood glaring at him. Though accuracy ended there; he could never ever see Jade wearing a pink princess dress with matching hair bows. Not on his watch.

"Prissy, even if I could get a puppy, an hour ago you were demanding kittens," he ground out.

"Actually, it was forty-five minutes ago. And her senselessness does not excuse the time you waste with dramatic poses. We could be there quicker if blah, blah, boring, boring…" Frugality rattled off in her glasses and business-ware.

"Punk, will you kindly do something about them?" Hero asked the third, and thankfully final, member of his crew, a teenage Jade with a purple Mohawk, red eyes, and punk attire. She flipped him the bird.

"Should have seen that coming. No wonder I found you lot floating about, the Queen finds you just as useful as I do!"

"Where's that ice cream I wanted but never asked for?" Prissiness huffed. Hero face-palmed, as Frugality graphed an equation to show why that request was stupid. He didn't need math to know something was stupid.

"Land ho, not that I care," Punk growled.

"Oh thank all gods! Any longer and I would have tossed you lot over board! Ah yes, Crossroads Key, just the kind of place he would hang out. Bring us in to port," Hero commanded.

"No."

"It would be more efficient if you…"

"I like chocolate!"

"Never mind," Hero groaned.

_Shortly:_

"Okay, you lot gather up supplies while I'm gone or I'll just leave you here with the old man," he threatened back at the _Failure's _trepid crew.

Hero grumbled as he made his way up the rocks above the sand. Leaping from rock to rock, he glanced back and saw Prissiness was now refusing to get out of the boat. Why couldn't the Queen have had luck with that one?

He had heard rumors some steam punk cyborg guy was running around without red eyes; he sounded like first mate material.

He stopped his leaping with a clack of both boots on the rock. An inlet of clouds went into the island – through it, he knew from past experience. What looked like one island was actually two joined by appearance, if not actuality. By appearance, since a few paces ahead the cliff face gave way to a cave, the inlet its canal.

Pulling a torch off his belt he smacked it against the ground three times, setting it ablaze. Pleased at the dramatic illumination, he set off into the darkness, chains clanking in the wind.

"I knew you would be coming; you never could pass an opportunity to be dramatic," an accented voice called from the darkness. Hero smiled, the light catching off his teeth as the torchlight stretched ahead of him.

He could make out his quarry's silhouette standing atop a rock outcrop over the channel. Only his brown shoes were revealed by the light, along with the iron chains manacling his ankles.

"That's how I keep from becoming boring. Aspire to never be normal, it's the key to a fulfilling life," Hero smiled, bowing sarcastically in greeting.

"More like vain posing from someone who would rather be seen as a fool than ignored," the other sighed. Hero frowned.

"Must you always try and bring me down? Well, I suppose it's in the job description, Father," Hero griped.

"Someone has to try and reel you in to put those feet on the ground. You always take stupid risks even when it stands to get you nothing. You don't need to prove these things, at least not with your methods," Father spoke up, his chains clanking as he shifted.

"Heh, even now you try and make this point. I'm ousted from my ship and you're further from the wheel than ever, old man. But I am going to offer you something mature, so let's celebrate before you kill the party.

"An alliance, you and me against the Queen. The dog leaving has weakened her – it's let Doubt go flying about, and when she flies, whoever holds the wheel and sword gets slippery hands. You used that against me and almost got it a few times. Together we can take it back," Hero proposed, raising a clenched fist.

"How? Most of the Aspects are either under her influence or converted. If you were strong enough to retake them you would have. You only come to me because you don't think you can do it yourself," Father shook his head.

"I will show them I am the better Captain by taking back what she stole! I have always been the best, just look what I have given Jade by seizing opportunity with both hands and all the will," Hero objected.

"Like impressing them with a 'badass tattoo'?" Father asked. Hero recoiled as if struck.

"It's the same as that. You are so focused on getting what you want you never consider the consequences of your actions. In the end, that leads to sorrow no matter how many times you manage to bail yourself out before that."

"Preachy goat. Inaction has consequences too, that's one reason I at least became a Captain, while you've never been more than a crewman. However mutinous, you just never could pull anything off, much less pull it off with style. Trying to hold everyone back so you could arrange everything so nice and safe!

"Well forget that, and you! I was willing to bury the hatchet but you haven't changed a bit since the day I clapped you in iron!" Hero accused, knowing it was a lie and not caring.

"Greed came to see me," Father said.

"What? She scouting for Her Royal Pettiness?" Hero asked, surprised.

"No, she wanted what you came for. Though she also wants you away from the wheel and sword," Father admitted, shifting in the poor light.

"Hell? What is that one up to? I thought she was spent since Shendu. Well, thanks for the tip old man; you're invited to my victory party, then we can get this life back on its proper course," Hero finished with a laugh. With a dramatic turn, he swept out of the cave to continue his quest.

Father watched him go, shaking his head. If only it were that simple.

* * *

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

"What are you doing?" Uncle demanded. Jackie looked up at the elder, surprised. He glanced down to the open envelope and paper spread in front of him on the table.

"Checking the bills?" Jackie offered as an answer. That seemed to be the wrong answer.

"Aiyaa! Niece is no doubt plotting evil and you waste time! Tohru is doing research and making paper, Uncle is dong research, and thief…" Uncle trailed off. They looked to where Viper was sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper.

"Thief is mooching off Uncle and does not care about his scolding!" Uncle ranted, stomping off back to the library. Jackie looked after him, concerned, while Viper folded up the paper as the door slammed shut.

"It's my fault; I convinced him to try coffee to burn more midnight oil, since he was griping about his tea not being strong enough. It isn't a good combo," Viper apologized to Jackie. The archaeologist sighed and massaged his forehead with one hand.

"He's not wrong though. Jade's clever and she hates to lose – who knows what she is doing now with the Shadow Hand?" Jackie reminded her.

_Windsor Mansion:_

Jade smirked as the Enforcers exchanged wary glances. They were confident, but they had seen enough to be wary of seemingly good opportunities. That was a thief's dilemma – weighing the risk of a job against the payoff. She had them, but it was time to draw them in fully.

"It's not too late to back out gentlemen; I can understand why you're having second thoughts," she soothed them condescendingly.

"You got some trick up your sleeve, but remember, no magic, that's a rule," Finn declared, pointing at her. She simply nodded her head, letting a small smile linger on her face.

"Of course; I do follow the rules I set for myself. No more dickering then, in or out?" Jade said. The men seated around the table slapped down a twenty dollar bill each on the wood. Jade more calmly withdrew three twenties from her cloak and laid them on the table.

Her eyes and theirs drifted to the gargantuan pile of meats, cheeses, and non-onion vegetables squeezed between two thick slices of wheat bread. It sat on the plate in front of her, nearly looming in the challenge it presented.

"There's no way," Chow declared, though his voice betrayed some uncertainty. Jade looked at him and gave a toothy smile she was certain made him nervous. She reached up to the base of her lower jaw and felt for the sweet spot. The Enforcers' eyes widened at the popping sound.

"You said!" Finn objected, half rising from his chair.

"Hits rot agic," Jade slurred. Gingerly picking up the sandwich, she closed her eyes as she began to cram.

Her pounding fist shook the table and her eyes teared up as her neck bulged before returning to normal as the lump vanished into her torso.

"Ugh, wow, I reed a ink… I need a drink," she coughed after clicking her jaw back in place. The wide-eyed men slid their money over to her.

"Told you I could do it," she smiled, before coughing. It occurred to her it might not have been worth sixty dollars.

* * *

**AN:**

Back to business. Did you miss it? I will have some presents for my readers on Christmas, including a special surprise. I hope you liked this, and will like them.

I will also be making an announcement regarding PDJ in general on Christmas.

Next chapter here, "Operation Steel Lightning".


	12. Steel Lightning

Disclaimer:_ I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures, Beast Wars, or One Piece._

Betaed by: Zim'sMostLoyalServant

* * *

**PDJ Presents:**

"Queen of All Oni"

CHAPTER IX

Steel Lightning

OR

_Can you get too much respect too?_

_Windsor Mansion:_

The Shadow Hand was seated along one side of the table that dominated the dining room-turned-conference room. Chow read his newspaper, Ratso a comic book, Finn listened to a walkman, head dipping to music only he could hear, Hak Foo looked bored and irritated, while Blankman sorted through some paperwork he had laid out before him.

They noticed the chairs from the opposite side of the table had been removed. Clearly the boss was up to something. As if her calling a meeting wasn't obvious enough of a clue.

"Gentlemen," Jade greeted curtly, floating in through the doorway. Holding herself at about waist height, she floated to stand across from the humans, followed by Left, who held a stand and a large packet of papers under his arms. As he set up the stand, Jade touched down onto the table and started to pace, hands behind her back.

"We, which is to say _you_, are falling into a pattern. A pattern of failure. I have seen this from the other side of the stadium, and I am telling you right now I am not having it.

"So it's time to kick the pattern, try something new. Get them out of their little groove.

"But how? That is the question. The answer lies in the few times the dark forces have gotten the better of Uncle Jackie. Naturally, the place to look is the biggest upset the forces of light have been handed since Valmont decided to listen to his interior decorating.

"In the Talisman hunt, the score was 10-2 Jackie into the final stretch. Enter the Tiger, and all of those previous victories just became a matter of making it cake for Tiger to filch every talisman the Dark Hand had lost.

"Unlike the Demon Portals, and like the talisman powers, the Masks are still in play. It's just a matter of getting to them, and all my setbacks are overturned in one stroke of awesome!

"So that is our goal; the next mask fight is only a prelude to our true goal of retrieving the masks in Section 13.

"To that end, I give you, OPERATION: STEEL LIGHTNING!" Jade exclaimed as her yojimbo finished setting up the stand and flipped back the first page to reveal the name written in both English and Japanese with a lightning bolt sketched across it.

"Step one, we fight for the mask," Jade declared as the page was flipped. It showed the Enforcers sprawled on the ground while Jade kicked a poorly drawn Tohru in the head, Jackie tugging on a mask with Hak Foo. It also showed Uncle as a cartoon goat with the word bubble "one more thing".

"Step two, 'accidentally' get the mask on Jackie," Jade continued as the page was turned. She rose into the air to stand opposite Left, pointing to the displayed image. This picture showed a sour faced Hak Foo smacking the mask on Jackie's face. Hak Foo's word bubble read "Oops", while Jackie had an exclamation mark over his head. Goat Uncle's head was shown in the bottom left corner saying "one more thing" again.

_18 Minutes Later:_

"Then after the victory banquet…" Jade continued. The page was flipped, showing Goat Uncle with a black eye, an arm in a sling, and holding an ice pack to his head. Again the word bubble read, "One more thing".

"Step 20, be awesome," she grinned as the final page was revealed. A drawing of her that matched the expression she was currently wearing, only in the drawing she was wearing cool sunglasses and flashing a victory sign.

"Any questions?" she asked, beaming at herself. Chow raised a hand; she nodded to him.

"That has nothing to do with lightning," he stated.

"Or steel, really… well, anymore than normal," Finn added.

"It doesn't have to make sense, it's a cool name," Jade waved it off.

"What about Operation: Shadow Tiger – you know, evil Jackie Chan call back?" Ratso suggested.

"Or Dark Judas," Finn suggested.

"Ulysses clings to bottom of ram," Hak Foo spoke up.

"Trojan Mask, for your part," Blankman suggested.

"Oh, what about-!" Chow spoke up again before Jade slammed a hand on the table.

"Hey! I'm the boss here, I name the operations!" she screamed at them.

"Well, I-" Chow began before she made a slashing gesture, cutting him off.

"I sign your stupid paychecks – cause apparently just giving out wads of cash is bad accounting – I tell you what to do!

"If I assign you stupid codenames, I expect you to answer to stupid codenames. In fact, Chow, until further notice you will be referred to by the codename Bonkers!

"Now Bonkers, go take over the surveillance, the rest of you back to whatever the Hell I pay for between jobs. I'm going to go eat a pizza and a bucket of ice cream, disturb at your dignity's risk!" she told them. She walked away rather than floated, so she could stomp her way out, grumbling about it "being a cool name" under her breath.

When she was gone, the Enforcers breathed a sigh of relief, while an irritated Hak Foo took his own leave.

"Bad luck Bonkers," Ratso counseled Chow.

"She's still a better boss than Shendu," Finn remarked.

"Oh, definitely," Chow agreed.

"Hmm, will I need to make edits to the personnel files?" Blankman wondered.

_Somewhere in the American Northwest:_

The redwoods flew by as they made their way through a forest road that was more like a trail.

"Captain Black, are you sure this is alright?" Jackie asked from the back seat of the jeep. Uncle, Tohru, and Viper rode in a similar vehicle in front of them. Black sat shotgun, adjusting a tazer, while an agent with bushy sideburns and sunglasses drove through the woods.

"Now that the Talismans work, I can make a convincing argument. Though it helps that the Shadow Hand is a problem my superiors want me to solve, magic or no magic," the Director grinned.

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" Jackie asked, eying the tazer.

"Probably no more than your magic lasers," the agent commented brusquely.

"It's not just the job Jackie; Jade's too promising a kid to lose to this demon stuff. You get S-13's best, me and Wisker," Captain Black assured him.

"Your name is Whisker?" Jackie asked, surprised. The agent grunted in answer.

_Meanwhile:_

"Ugh! Come on, what are you stuck on there with?" Jade demanded. She floated beside a totem pole, trying to pry a green mask with orange sideburns from it. The totem pole stood in a clearing of the redwood forest that opened on a cliff face overlooking the spread of woodlands.

The stunning scenery was lost on Jade who, in a frustrated fit, bit into the carved face above the mask. Her jaws snapped shut through the wood; turning her head, she spat splinters and chunks of wood aside.

"Ohh, she's getting mad," Finn commented.

"What kind of glue did they use, and where can we get some?" Chow wondered.

"This venture is pointless, I refuse to throw a fight!" Hak Foo declared. The fighter stood at the clearing's edge, knocking pieces of a tree away as he practiced his moves on it.

"If you wanna disobey the girl chewing off a bear's face, good luck," Ratso shrugged as he snacked from a small bag of chips.

"Brace myself! Are you threatening me? You're stuck to a pole!" Jade yelled. She seemed to feel everyone looking at her, because she turned, looking a bit embarrassed.

"The mask is talking to me," she said, pointing at it. They didn't respond and she frowned, grabbing it again and pulling with growls of exertion. She froze, and was grateful they didn't see her expression.

"Oh," she muttered. Queen Jade planted her feet against the totem pole and gave another heave. With a sound of tearing fibers and a small shower of splinters, the mask came free.

"Oh yeah! Me one, pole zip!" Jade cheered herself. She drifted up to sit on top of the pole between two carved bird wings.

"Isn't it more like her one, pole seventeen?" Chow chuckled, whispering to Finn.

"I heard that, Bonkers!" Jade yelled. The small Enforcer cringed and opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by a pair of jeeps bursting into the clearing through the brush.

The heroes poured out of the cars as the Enforcers and Hak Foo came to attention. Jade was holding the mask in front of her face when they noticed her perched on the totem; she tilted it to the side, exposing her right eye to them.

"Aiyah! Jade has mask already, Uncle told you to take shortcut!" Uncle exclaimed, smacking Tohru while pulling out a vial.

"I was surprised to beat you here. It would almost seem wrong to put this mask on Red's face without you running interference," Jade admitted. She snapped her fingers, and Left and Right stepped out of the shadow of the totem pole, swords drawn. Jade put the mask in her lap, frowning as she noticed her opposition was thicker than normal.

"Captain Black? Since when do you work the field? And who's the red shirt?" Jade asked, pointing at the agent with the sideburns.

"Name's Wisker. Surrender the hazardous material," the agent said, reaching into his jacket.

"Your name is Whisker? And here I thought villains were the ones with the bad puns. Well, let's get this thing rolling," Jade commented. Reaching behind her back, she pulled out one of her fans and threw the mask towards her human minions.

"Leaping trout catches fly!" Hak Foo shouted, running forward. Jade scowled as she pulled out her other fan. The heroes rushed forward, only to be brought up short as Jade sent a slash of shadows down in front of them.

Hak Foo jumped up to meet the mask, only for it to fly away from him with a bang. Wisker held out his revolver, still smoking.

"No one gets that mask," he said. A green beam sliced through a crescent of shadow that nearly plowed into the agent. He looked towards the dissipating magic, surprise not hidden by his sunglasses. Uncle smacked him over the head as Jackie and Viper engaged the two Shadowkhan rushing to meet them.

"Magic must defeat magic!" Uncle told him. Lifting his fish, he blasted the mask back up into the air from the spot on the ground where Hak Foo was about to grab it.

"No wonder Uncle likes that fish so much, this is fun," Jade laughed from her perch, sending blast after blast of chi into the battle below, keeping it chaotic. Hmm, she was actually kicking up too much dust, she realized, as she couldn't see clearly now. Closing one fan, she actually used one to fan herself.

'Now if only I could be sure Hak Foo was actually following the plan,' she thought.

The totem pole shaking and lurching under her jolted Jade from her thoughts. Bracing herself against one of the wooden eagle wings, she looked down. Tohru was pushing against the leaning pole, and moving it.

"_Tohruuuu!_" She shouted, opening her fans before giving way to a cry as the pole fell backward. Just before impact, it occurred to her she could float.

Left and Right looked to the fallen totem and the giant wizard advancing towards where their Queen lay. Jackie and Viper found themselves without opponents as the Khan dashed off towards Jade.

Hak Foo picked up the mask, smiling as he brushed bits of torn grass and dirt from it.

"A fearsome visage, for a fearsome warrior," he declared, raising it towards his face. It was close before Jackie grabbed the edges, yanking it back.

"No Oni today, thank you!" Jackie shouted as he became caught in a tug of war.

"Grr, monkey pulls- hey!" Hak Foo growled when Viper appeared between them and kicked the mask up into the air, out of both their grips.

"Lion rips out thorn in his side!" Hak Foo exclaimed, knocking Viper aside with a blow to the chest and turning on Jackie lividly.

"I got it!" Chow shouted, catching the mask out of the air.

"Great, give it to me! I mean, remember the-" Finn exclaimed, joining his shorter coworker.

"Or drop it," a voice told them. Captain Black grabbed Chow from behind, wrapping an arm under the smaller man's chin. Finn's legs were kicked out from under him and Wisker forced him to the ground, planting a knee in his back.

"No magic needed Captain," Wisker remarked, forcing Finn's face into the dirt.

"Don't count the chickens yet," Black told him as Chow struggled. Too choked to call for backup, Chow used what was at hand. He hit his captor in the face with the object in his hand. As he was doing it the consequences of his actions occurred to him.

Augustus Black saw something block his vision, then it felt like someone had thrown hot mush on his face.

Scratching at his face, he let the Enforcer go, stumbling away. Jade heard him cry out from where she and her Shadowkhan had Uncle and Tohru surrounded.

"Not exactly what I had in mind," she commented, drawing the wizards' attention to what was going on. Hak Foo was sent onto his back by Jackie and saw the mask attachment unfold upside down.

"I wanted that mask," he growled, springing back to his feet.

Wisker watched his superior in alarm, until two fists crashed down on his head.

"Forgot about me?" Ratso asked. Rolling the agent to the side, he helped Finn to his feet.

"Time to go," Jade told her Khan. Ducking into a small shadow by the pole, she vanished from sight, leaving her two bodyguards to grab the surprised Enforcers and pull them into shadows.

"I _will_ have a mask!" Hak Foo declared, before running off into the trees.

"What happened? Where's the mask? What's happened to my voice?" Captain Black asked, pulling hands away from his face to reveal a green monstrous face lined by orange sideburns.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

"So this will keep me from going all dark side?" Captain Black asked as Tohru painted on his face with glowing green paint.

"Aiyah! Mask is too powerful to defeat with simple spell! Mask must be removed, and Shadowkhan minions destroy only vial of potion Uncle had!" Uncle ranted, shoving items into a traveling bag. The heroes stood around in the library with Captain Black sitting while Tohru did his work.

"Wouldn't making a back up batch just in case have been a good idea? I mean, if she wants to keep the masks on people, getting rid of your potions is a solid strategy," Viper remarked, looking up from the book she was reading. Uncle smacked her over the head.

"Do not mock Uncle! Uncle must go fetch seaweed to make new potion before Captain Black succumbs to forces of darkness," Uncle ranted to her face.

"The spell will slow the process… we think – the masks remain something of an enigma compared to the details we had to work with on the Demon Sorcerers.

"Captain Black, you must not summon Shadowkhan. That more than anything will hasten the mask's darkness corrupting your mind," Tohru told him.

"Don't summon ninja army, got it."

"Tohru, you're not going with Uncle?" Jackie asked as Tohru put the finishing touch on the spell.

"Uncle can get seaweed himself! My apprentice has special project to work on. Even more vital with evil now thrust into our midst," Uncle said, closing up his bag.

"You should go to Section 13, or wherever you feel most secure. Such an atmosphere will help slow the spread of darkness," Tohru told Black as Uncle made his exit.

_Section 13:_

Captain Black stalked through the bustling heart of Section 13, coat practically billowing about him. Their chief could be intimidating, certainly, but even the senior agents found themselves giving him a wider berth than usual.

Everyone would agree it was that mask he had shown up wearing. A grown man wearing a monster mask should have been ridiculous, but this was anything but. Even a glance to the back of that green head made men feel the need to check their side arms or reach for the nearest heavy object.

It was magic, of course. The Battle of the Zoo where so many of them had helped petrify Shendu had finally forced that bizarre reality on much of the agency. Even so, acknowledging that reality and having it stroll casually into your everyday routines were very different things.

All he had said on the matter was that it was being taken care of and not to worry. It was a vain request for the most part.

Black himself was being annoyed by magic at the moment on a conference call with a counterpart in the United Kingdom. Apparently, a wizard cult Jackie had been involved with taking down had managed a mass breakout of members.

It seemed the whole magic deal was more accepted on that side of the pond. But then, that was the land King Arthur and all that, so Black supposed it might just be top-secret history to the British.

"Yes, I'll be sure to tell him. Knowing too much? That's their beef? Hold on, I'm getting another call, urgent line.

"This is Black.

"What? !" the Captain exclaimed, shooting up from his chair.

_Coit Tower:_

"Why did it have to be here?" Chow demanded through chattering teeth. His stereotypical tourist attire of a short-sleeved Hawaiian print shirt and khaki shorts did not help much with the cold winds. Jade sat on a guardrail, swinging her feet with her hood up against the cold and looking no worse for wear. And naturally, Chow thought, her Shadowkhan goons stood at attention, unaffected by the elements.

"Why, it's the history of the place to consider. That was quite the fight back then, another debt Jackie doesn't bother to acknowledge. Save his life and he scolds me for stealing," Jade grumbled.

'But would they have kept the bargain? Wasn't it the most scared you had ever been when you thought you would lose him?' she heard a man whisper in her ear. Shaking her head, she glanced about suspiciously. Just the wind… but why could she smell the sea so clearly for a second?

"Majesty?" Right asked, glancing at her troubled look.

"Why do I have to be the fake hostage?" Chow whined, pulling a black bag over his head.

"Well, 'Ping', you wanted to know how to get out of quirky codenames. I gave you one from Mulan since you got Black masked, but it will take a bit more effort to get back to a real name basis," Jade told him as Left moved to hold Chow's hands behind his back.

"Jade!" Captain Black's distorted voice rose from the stairs.

"Showtime," Jade said to Right. The ninja nodded, and with a bow stepped back and moved out of sight.

Captain Black emerged from the stairway at a brisk pace, not the least bit winded from his climb, she noted.

'The mask, or is he just in better shape than I give him credit for?'

"Taking a hostage to call me out, I'm surprised Jade. Even as a bad guy, I would think you would have more class than that," Black remarked, glancing to her before fixing his attention on the "hostage".

"It's not like I intended to do anything with him, we just needed an excuse to talk where Jackie wouldn't dare meddle and you wouldn't risk letting Viper know what's going on.

"You have something I want, and I don't think you even want it at the moment," she told Captain Black, pointing to his masked face. Jade frowned, seeing the characters written across it. She could almost smell Tohru's meddling magic at work.

"I'm afraid your ninjas broke the potion, so until Uncle gets back with some replacement ingredients, it's not going anywhere," Black told her, crossing his arms. He really did look more impressive with some hair, Jade though idly. She broke out her best-practiced evil grin before speaking; she had been putting her mirror to good use.

"Not necessarily. You rely on potions, but I am not a mere human. I am a Shadowkhan General – I can remove a mask. I know how, thanks to the incomplete Teachings," Jade lied smoothly. Black betrayed a hopeful look, before his poker face slammed back into place.

"All I want is the mask – you aren't on my "Get Even" list, Captain Black. You walk away maskless with the hostage," Jade explained.

"And the mask?"

"Walk away with that, too. The Generals have been hostile to me in the past; you going dark while wearing it could go quite badly for me," she answered.

"And if I don't believe you?" he pressed.

"It no longer matters, toss him," Jade said, loosing her smooth tone for an excited one. Right appeared and grabbed the Captain's arms, crossing them behind his back and pushing him forward.

He felt power surge through him but pushed it down. Super strength would come with a high price.

Jade hopped down from her perch and walked forward, waiting until Right forced Black past her. She was nowhere in sight when the struggling man and calm ninja moved on.

"What are you trying to do, Jade? !" Black demanded as he reached the guardrail. Left joined his brother, kneeling down to grab Black's legs. Together, they pulled him off his feet and held him overhead.

"Oh hell," Black cursed, putting together Jade's earlier words. Without a word, the Shadowkhan tossed him over the rails and out of sight to plummet.

_Below:_

A massive Shadowkhan – built like a boulder, its masked head seeming to have no neck and much of its tree trunk like arms baring blue skin – rose out of the shadow cast by a parked laundry truck. Glancing up, it was lifted into the air as another Sumo Khan rose beneath it, leaving him standing on its shoulders.

The pattern continued and hastened as the sumo rose into the sky on a tower of its brethren, raising its arms out in front of it.

A scream was cut off with an "oof!" as Captain Black was caught in its outstretched arms. Panting, he looked at his rescuer in shock, and then glanced down, seeing the swaying tower of ninjas. Feeling a tingling on his head, he ran the back of his hand across his brow and it came away with ink smeared on it that vanished before his eyes.

"Uhhh, down?" he asked the masked sumo. The giant nodded to him, and the massive ninja began to sink back into the shadow they had come from, shrinking the tower. As they descended, Black reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, flipping it open.

"Jackie, I think I messed up," he reported as the Shadowkhan lowered him to the ground.

_Section 13:_

Captain Black marched into his office and took his seat behind his desk more heavily than he intended. He watched Wisker follow him in, accompanied by his second in command. He must have left them standing there longer than he thought, because his number two spoke up.

"Sir?" the man asked. Black looked to the man and was sorry to see him flinch; damn mask.

"Men, Jade got me to use the mask, I'm at risk of falling under its influence until the wizards get back with the removal spell," he told them. He frowned, rubbing the spot on his brow where Tohru's kanji had been; the big guy was disappointed the spell hadn't held up. The old man, meanwhile, was probably just furious at Black for not becoming street paste rather than using the mask.

"Here is what we are going to do. I'm locking myself in here – for now, you are in command, and if I send out orders take them with a grain of salt, or disobey if they sound evil. In fact, don't call me unless its magic stuff. I need to get in my happy-good place.

"Wisker, head down to the Vault and don't let anyone in, especially me," he commanded them. The agents nodded and walked out. Black got up and locked the door behind them. He finally let out the sigh he had been holding. He was glad he didn't have a mirror in here.

Yes, he could feel the mask in his head, or hear it? Like a whisper jut too soft to understand. Was it good or bad he couldn't make it out?

He wished Tohru had come on over but he was apparently working on something that when finished could help sort this problem. When he asked for details, the sumo had reminded him that the mask might be listening.

"Okay, positive thoughts. But not gratification. Hmm," the captain wondered, taking his seat back. After some consideration, he closed his eyes and hummed the first thing to come to mind with good stuff. Amazing Grace – simple, good, and lots of positive associations to come to mind.

Not exactly the whole Asian mysticism thing, but he figured his own reaction was what mattered here. And it seemed to be right. The whispering faded without vanishing entirely. And as images from childhood to more recent matters – like the moment he truly realized Tohru had turned himself around – passed his eyes, he felt a weight he hadn't noticed lift.

Meditation wasn't much his thing; he had that in common with Jade, waste of time. But he had learned how to calm and center himself as part of his training. He put that to use now.

He noted his senses were sharper than usual, hearing the different inflections in his voice, his shift in the chair, and… well, well.

Captain Black rose from his chair and took a few steps into a relatively clear space. Letting out a "hmm", he stroked his chin, which was unusual with the mask texture, he noted.

Now, he was no Jackie Chan, but he was pretty quick, if he said so himself. Twisting around and crouching in one motion that sent his coat swishing, he plunged a hand into his shadow. It sank past his wrist into the floor, then he yanked it back as he stood up straight again.

Pulling Queen Jade out by the scruff of her ninja robes.

"Hello Jade, fancy meeting you here," the chief agent remarked. His free hand darted out, snatching the fans from her belt and tossing them across the room to clank against the wall.

"Sheesh, lame line, loser. Honestly, what do you guys do for witty dialogue with me gone?" Jade asked, rolling her eyes. At least, he thought she rolled her eyes – it was hard to tell with the red glowing thing she had going on there.

"I get what you pulled, Jade. We all thought that little stunt was so you could get the dark out of me, but that was just a distraction. You wanted the mask active so you could use its power to mask you stowing away in my shadow. The wards don't work on the masks, so it let you in under that. And any willies near me would have been dismissed as the mask," Black said. Jade grinned, revealing her row of fangs.

"What can I say? Young as I am, I am way smarter than you guys," she chuckled.

"Really, that smart, what's the capital of Kansas?" the man with the green face demanded.

"What? That's not a real test; it's a piece of trivia, irrelevant to everyone everywhere!

"But to answer your question, Kansas City, duh," Jade ranted.

"Actually, it's Topeka. Kansas City is in Missouri," he shook his head at her. Jade's mouth hung open for a moment before twisting into a snarl.

"Firstly, that's stupid. Secondly, you didn't get my plan quite right," she hissed. Her left hand was behind her back, shadow pooling in the cupped palm.

"Yeah, you waited too long, you should have jumped ship earlier to try for the Vault," Black admitted, pulling out his phone.

"No, you forgot step 12!" Jade snarled. Her left hand shot out, the shadow chi bursting outward into Black's face.

"RAAAH!" he yelled, stumbling back. He dropped her and his phone to stumble back, clutching at his face. The phone bounced on the carpet, while Jade just dipped for a moment before rising to float in the air. Holding out her hands, she turned to where her fans lay. With a word, they vanished in a puff of smoke to reappear in her hands with another puff.

Smiling, she rubbed her cheeks against each folded instrument before turning her attention to Black as he quieted down.

"I trust I am speaking to the resident General now?" Jade inquired. She cocked her wrists, ready to flip her fans open on a moment's notice, as the figure straightened up. Finally, the hands were pulled away, revealing glowing red eyes.

"Ah, so a burst of concentrated shadow chi _does_ empower Shadowkhan, including sealed ones," Jade smiled. About time that tablet started to pay off.

The General folded his pilfered arms behind his back, looking at her intently. Jade drifted back a smidgen before realizing what she was doing. Baring her teeth, she floated forward, raising her fans but not opening them.

He pulled out his arms, and… kowtowed to her?

"Wha?" Jade slipped, making a most undignified face.

"Joō Heika I, General Ozeki, am at your service. Use me as you will," he intoned darkly, and _happily?_

"This is different; why are you treating me like royalty when I'm the youngest General?" Jade demanded. He raised himself to kneel, both fists planted in the ground.

"You are not just a mere General, you are female. You are the Royalty returned at long last. The Red King's usurpation comes to an end. Let the loyalists rejoice!" he practically cheered, baring fangs.

'Oookay, is this for real? I finally scale back, and then I get someone onboard with my destiny? No, too convenient, it may be a trick.

'Right, may be a trick, but the plan is still good. Win with plan, then worry about this,' Jade decided, frowning at the possessed Black.

"I have a plan," she told him.

"Yes, we are in the heart of the enemy stronghold. I shall call forth an army and lay waste to their hidden castle. The stones will be forever stained with the blood of your enemies, and ashes will darken the sky as I-" he ranted, raising a fist.

"Ease back there, buddy. I can understand your… enthusiasm. But I'm not looking to escalate things like that. Well, not at this point.

"Anyway, I have an assignment for you and I expect you to follow it without any… colorful additions," Jade told him warily.

"Of course, your will is my command, your whim my fate.

"Oh, Royalty! I must beg forgiveness; I passed the trampling stone test of the Matriarchy Crest after the Rebellion of the Red King. I know such disrespect is worthy of execution, and many chose Ikazuki's blade before that dishonor, but I knew the Royalty would rise again!

"And when that day came you would need true males, loyalists to aid you in returning the Court of One Thousand Candles to its glory.

"My long ordeal has at last borne fruit; you stand before me now and I am ready to serve!" he seemed to almost swoon at his own rant. Jade reached out and tentatively patted his head, not sure how to respond.

"That's good. What I need from you is a distraction. Draw everyone's attention, including Jackie… no, _especially_ Jackie. Ransack the place; smash everything but the people.

"Meanwhile, I will break into the Vault; his wards won't hold me back if I have time to work on them. And just like that, I get those masks back.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to know where the Teachings of Eternal Shadow are, would you?" Jade asked, thinking of the question.

"Alas no, we knew only of the first as it shines like a beacon for us. But the enemy has knowledge," he said, rising to his feet. Walking over to Captain Black's desk, he pulled out a sheet of paper and began copying its contents on one of Black's blank sheets.

Jade drifted over and saw he was translating what looked like scans of two scrolls.

"My Queen, these are the clues the accursed Sage-Disciples gave to the Returned One. They will lead you to your birthright, the power to reclaim the throne from the Usurper," he said, handing the sheet to her while clenching his other fist.

"Oh, very nice. I might like you after all," Jade grinned, tucking the paper into her robes.

"Shall I begin?" he asked. At her nod, a massive form began to rise from his shadow at the wave of his hand. Jade's eyes widened, and then narrowed to slits as she snickered.

"Oh, that fat jerk is going to _love_ this," she laughed.

_Meanwhile:_

"Viper, this is not a good idea," Jackie reiterated with a long-suffering air. As they crammed into the phone booth, Viper adjusted the short blonde wig she wore and pushed her sunglasses back up her nose.

"I'm telling you, Jackie, something is already going wrong. Jade doesn't fail gracefully, especially these days. The fact she vanished quietly says to me that whatever she was doing worked. And Black is where this scheme begins and ends," she told him. The phone booth moved, and Viper pulled an onion out of her jacket pocket to put in Jackie's hand.

Jackie looked it over reluctantly. He wondered if Viper realized she had been carrying the vegetables around so much she smelled like them most of the time now? He had considered pointing it out, but commenting on how a woman smells did not seem a good idea.

Besides, Uncle would blurt it out at some point.

'Wait, why am I giving Uncle the opportunity to be rude?' Jackie wondered. He frowned, reexamining his logic until the phone booth let them out. They stepped out of the fake public communication receptacle into a scene of chaos, as agents rushed about while alarms blared and red lights flashed.

They stood next to each other, still at the sounds of gunfire and stuff getting smashed. Viper grinned and looked over at Jackie.

"What did I tell ya?" the thief smirked nervously. Pulling off the wig, she pulled out another onion.

**X X X**

"'Yohohooo, Yohohohoho, something-something-something, Bink's sake'!" Jade sang as she walked through the familiar corridors of Section 13. After the big rush upstairs to deal with Ozeki, she had only needed to briefly duck into shadows to conceal her presence.

Not that she couldn't handle Black's agents, but it would only take a brief word to Jackie and she would get some real challenge.

Which would normally be cool enough, but today she was just aiming for a speedy pay off.

"All my defeats reversed in one stroke. That's something I can bring to the table with this 'Red King'," Jade congratulated herself. She turned into the Vault corridor and found she wasn't alone.

She raised an eyebrow at the lone man in black. He could pass for a typical enough agent she supposed, save for having prominent bushy sideburns.

"You again? You trying to move up from cannon fodder to recurring character?" Jade asked. She hadn't expected this. Captain Black had always trusted his tech and then magic to keep the Vault secure over real guards.

"I'm going to have to ask you to vacate the premises. You are not authorized to be here," he told her, not breaking his attention stance.

"Ohh, trying the whole 'brush off, too cool for you' intimidation? Sorry pal, I've done the adventure bit, read that book, seen the movie, _and_ the series. What's going to happen is you get stomped quickly by me, and the only problem I might run into is someone who actually matters showing up before I make my escape.

"So, why don't you save yourself a beat down and just punch yourself in the face and play possum?" Jade mocked.

*BANG*

Jade blinked and looked to where she had felt a tug on her left arm. Then glanced to the smoking revolver Wisker had drawn. Inspecting the sleeve, she found a hole in the slightly baggy cloth, still warm from the passage.

"Did you shoot at me? With a bullet?" Jade demanded. Her eyes narrowed, and Wisker discarded the spent shell, replacing it in a near blur. The casing hit the floor with a clear ping that made her scowl.

"I'm not your family. I'm not magic. I'm a lawman; you're a criminal. And I'm not letting you get a hold of these armies or those weapons," he told her coldly, pointing a thumb back at the Vault door.

He dodged and rolled as a crescent of shadow tore through the air. It hit the Vault door and sizzled on the wards that flared into life across it. Jade struck a pose with both her fans opened and raised, slightly dipped forward.

"Well, if that's the way _you_ want it," the Queen hissed.

**X X X**

Ozeki threw back his head and roared as water fell from the ceiling on the burning carnage he had unleashed. He held the pose a moment longer than needed, observing the system of fire extinguishment. Quite ingenious, for humans.

It was a welcome sensation, the false rain, after so many years locked in numb wood. His mind drifted back to other battles where the sound of rain falling on fire had graced his ears.

"Captain Black! Stop this, you need to take control!" a voice broke into his reverie. Righting himself, Ozeki put his arms behind his back and commanded his troops in the vast chamber to halt. He had heard the whispers of this man, and seen through the eyes of his tribe the skill he possessed.

But some matters are best seen, face to face. Besides, as thrilling as it was to ravage this fortress in the name of the Royalty, the lack of death was getting tiresome. But it was not his place to question her, only to "Protect and Obey." This encounter should prove entertaining though.

"Jackie Chan – your name floats through the sleeping darkness of the world. Both a curse and praises for laying low so many. I thought you'd be taller," Ozeki greeted, raising a hand to Jackie. The archaeologist stopped and frowned, looking at the sumo ninjas standing their ground in the mayhem. They were monstrous in bulk, their proportions putting him in mind of some man-ape.

"Captain Black-" he began, before the General cut him off with a swipe of his hand.

"He's not going to answer, the Royalty has given me the upper hand. Almost a pity – he was strong enough to have fought me for quite awhile longer. I would have had to use his love of justice to subvert rather than outright usurpation.

"But enough of the past. I, General Ozeki, wish to see if you truly are a warrior worthy of such renown," the General grinned. Spreading his legs down to a near crouch, he planted his hands on his legs and stomped his feet one after the other.

"Where is Jade?" Jackie demanded, assuming his own stance. Green nostrils flared and red eyes narrowed at him.

"You refer to Her Majesty so familiarly? ! Her will keeps you from a death at my strong hands, but I will gladly shatter your limbs, for the glory of the Royalty!" he screamed. Snapping up from the stance, he charged Jackie with a leaping start that cut the distance between them in half. Jackie twisted on the spot, evading the driving elbow and launching a kick, knocking the possessed Black to his knees.

He fell, denting the floor with the outstretched elbow. Pulling himself up, Ozeki shrugged off the Captain's black coat and rolled up the sleeves of the dark red turtleneck.

"Hmm, this body is strong, but it lacks the bulk I am accustomed to. No matter; you stand in the way of the Queen, no obstacle is worth a second consideration to aiding her ambition," he told Jackie, cracking his knuckles.

"You may be skilled, but all I need is to hit you once!" Ozeki screamed, charging with a raised fist. Jackie backpedaled before the fist struck the floor he had been standing on, caving it in to the point Ozeki nearly lost his footing.

"WAAAH!" Jackie exclaimed at the display.

"One… hit," Ozeki chuckled. His eyes widened before he was knocked on his back. Viper rose from her sweep kick behind him and flashed Jackie a smile.

"I figured you were up to something when the not-so-jolly giants stopped in their tracks," the thief said.

"Look out!" Jackie called out. Viper hopped into the air just in time to avoid Ozeki's sweeping arm from hitting her feet. Viper pulled out an onion as he got to his feet and stepped back to keep both humans in his sights.

"Onions? This state does have an advantage, since those are nothing but smelly vegetables to me right now," Ozeki laughed.

"I'm saving them for Jade actually, they don't agree with her these days," Viper corrected, stashing the vegetable back in a pocket.

"You! You would dare defile the Royalty with that… venomous weed! I will rip out your arms and gouge your eyes out, WITH YOUR OWN THUMBS!" Ozeki screamed, blurring into motion.

Viper dodged backwards for dear life as the General got in her face. His fists swung out wildly, his rage all too apparent as he seemed to be nearly foaming at the mouth. Each miss was a near miss, leaving a gust of wind in its wake, knocking her hair around.

'Crap, I'm going to die,' Viper realized when her back hit the wall.

She saw the fist coming in a second; it filled her vision as reflex took hold, jerking her head to the right. She knew it wouldn't be enough.

Jackie brought his blow down on the green head in that same instant. One crack was followed by another.

Viper blinked, before hissing in pain. Black's hijacked fist was buried in the concrete wall up to its wrist, a hairsbreadth from her ear. A good deal of her black hair was buried with it, pulled quite taut.

She looked into the demon-masked face listless for the moment, with Jackie's fist still on top of it.

"Thanks," she sighed. She regretted it instantly, as the word seemed to turn the bad guy on as his eyes light back up. Pulling his fist out along with the hair tangled on it, he swung around towards Jackie.

Viper was swung with it, the weight throwing him off and sending him back to the ground. Viper skidded along the floor. Rolling into a crouch, she winced and lifted a hand to the wet patch of her scalp. Eyes like dishpans, she watched Ozeki throw away a clump of very familiar hair. There was no hair in the all too existent wet patch on her scalp.

"Viper?" Jackie asked, turning his eyes for a moment from the Oni dusting himself off as he got a feeling from the thief. He took a step back; she looked… well he wasn't sure, but it was scary.

"Now you've done it," she whispered, pulling her hand away from the bald spot while the other came out of a pocket with brass knuckles.

"Thank you Chan, I almost disobeyed an order there. Killing her would have been an inexcusable mistake," Ozeki nodded to Jackie. Viper's brass knuckles plowed into his cheek, sending him stumbling.

"Your mistake was messing with a girl's hair! Hair pullers don't get their asses kicked," Viper told him.

Ozeki cracked his neck and stepped into her space, sending an openhanded thrust toward her stomach. She danced around it, going low and under the following hook. She smacked upward with the back of her hand.

Between his legs.

"Uuk," Ozeki croaked, before falling backward.

"That is what hair pullers gets. What are you looking at?" Viper spat first at Ozeki then a dumbstruck Jackie.

"Nothing," Jackie wisely answered, holding up his hands.

Groaning, Ozeki raised a hand and snapped his fingers; the sumo stepped from their attention and turned to face the humans. Still more rose from the shadows starting to fill the room around them.

"Do you still have onions?" Jackie asked as he and Viper went back to back.

"Better, misplaced aggression," she told him, slipping brass knuckles onto her other hand.

"Don't kill, maim," Ozeki moaned from his spot on the floor.

_Meanwhile:_

*click* *click* Wisker didn't bother reaching for more bullets, he was out.

Jade smiled from her spot crouched on the floor, fan unfolded. She stood up straight as Wisker fell into a low stance, shifting his grip to the barrel of the gun, ready to pistol whip.

"I have had just about enough of you," Jade said around a smile. Tucking her left fan into her belt, she lifted her free hand to a healed wound on her right shoulder. The cut made by the bullet had healed, but there was still dark blood there. Keeping eye contact with the agent, she used the blood to draw a character on her remaining fan.

"And now," she declared, pointing at him with her drawing finger. She dashed forward, closing the fan and holding it behind her. Wisker took his swing at her, but she weaved around it to strike him in the knee with her fan.

He grunted but didn't go down. A coil of shadow sprang from the point of impact, and before he could even step back in distress it grew to wrap around him like a boa on its prey.

The last length covering his mouth, he made muffled exclamations as he struggled against the bonds from his precarious footing. Jade kissed her fan before rising into the air to come to eye level with the bound agent.

"So there. Now what exactly did you think you could accomplish here?" Jade asked mockingly. He obviously couldn't answer, so Jade tapped the shadow tendril over his mouth with the fan, making that segment dissolve.

"You haven't gotten into the Vault yet," he told her with a cold smile. Jade's smirk vanished. Pulling back her sleeve, she uncovered her Super Moose watch and saw how much time she had been wasting on this guy.

"Aren't we cute?" she growled. Poking him in the chest with her fan, she sent him off balance, crashing to the floor.

"Now let's open this package so I can get my presents," Jade muttered, turning to face the Vault.

**X X X**

Viper thrust her length of steel pipe out and up into a Sumo Khan's forehead. He dissolved into smoke, revealing still more of the ninja rising. Going back to back with Jackie again, she glanced to the wall where the possessed Black was standing in defiance of gravity, watching the fight.

"Ozeki! What's with the spectator? Afraid to get beat by a girl again?" Viper called.

"Don't make him madder!" Jackie protested as his rising kick combo disposed of another Shadowkhan.

"Fool, I am not afraid of anything but failing at what I am commanded to do by my betters. You inspire such anger that if I were to fight you personally I would lose control and end your pathetic lives! And that would be failing Her Majesty," he answered with that deep voice of his.

Viper was about to shout something at him when a green beam streaked across the room and struck Ozeki in the chest. The blow seemed to break whatever spell let him adhere as he fell to the floor, though he did manage to land in a crouch from the fall.

The giant Shadowkhan stopped as Tohru and Uncle descended the stairs from the higher level, fish drawn.

"You!" Ozeki roared, pointing at Tohru.

"Me?" the large wizard-in-training asked as he and Uncle reached the bottom floor.

"Aiyah! Captain Black, I told you not to listen to darkness within! No one listens to Uncle," the crotchety wizard cursed. Reaching into his vest, he pulled out a vial of green potion, handing it to a surprised Tohru.

"If Jade is not here she is seeking other prize, the Vault," Uncle told him.

"The masks!"

"The Talismans!" Viper and Jackie exclaimed in horror. Their stomachs knotted again, each registering the threat the other noted. Jade might just be unstoppable with that much firepower.

"Tohru, use your spell to defeat mask, Uncle will stop Jade," Uncle said before sprinting off.

"You think I will just-" Ozeki growled. A line of sumo rose to block the wide doorway Uncle was approaching, and vanished in a plume of smoke as the wizard fired off a barrage of chi zaps. He vanished through the smoke, out of sight.

"Oh, that was pretty good. I will have to ask permission to kill that one," Ozeki remarked thoughtfully.

Turning his attention back to the humans still in the room, he noted he was alone, with all his troops dispatched. Tohru was holding back while Viper approached, hands glowing, while Jackie moved cautiously with her, pipe now in hand.

"Useless, I can always call up more, and still have plenty to send after the old man. You won't even touch me unless I chAHHH!" the General's boast turned to a war cry as Tohru charged between his two comrades, a streamer of paper trailing from his left fist.

Ozeki planted his footing and assumed a sumo stance. Tohru hit the General like running into a wall. Even his massive fists engulfing Black's did nothing to shift the General. Ozeki looked up at Tohru, smirking to show off his fangs.

"Not bad, good to see there are still sumo with a warrior's heart. But even with this tiny form I am a yokozuna compared to you," Ozeki remarked.

"The contest, is not sumo," Tohru said. The paper now lodged between their hands began to glow green.

"No!" Ozeki shouted. He dragged Tohru with him as he attempted to pull away, not moving the least bit away from the streamer as it began to swirl around him. Tohru released his grip and Ozeki leapt back, still surrounded by the glowing paper.

Tohru clapped his hands together and the paper struck, tightening around Ozeki and sending him crashing to the floor. Snarling, the General struggled against the bonds, writhing on the floor.

"Quickly, the sutra was made to hold Jade, not a masked man," Tohru told Viper. The thief nodded, stepping forward and reaching down. Grabbing the mask by the orange sideburns, she started to pull.

"Graaahh!" he cried out as the demon face began to distort.

"Hair for hair," Viper told him as the mask came loose. Viper held up the mask in triumph while the streaming sutra unwound from the groaning Captain Black. Tohru reached down and began gathering it up while Jackie helped Captain Black to his feet.

"Jackie, I blew it, didn't I? Why does it feel like someone hit me in the-?" Captain Black moaned.

"Sorry, talk-later-have-to-stop-Jade!" Jackie said before dashing off. Viper gave him a smile he found too innocent before handing him the mask and hurrying after Tohru and Jackie.

Black scowled at the mask, and the smoking ruins of the terminals and equipment all around him.

**X X X**

"Huo xun, Zong zai Xing. Huo xun, Zong zai Xing. Huo xun, Zong zai Xing," Jade chanted(1). She held her fans in front of her, one horizontally, the other vertically. Black chi poured from both in a steady stream, creeping over the Vault door.

The wards blocking her access still shined green in defiance, but had gone from bold shining lines to glowing sketches as her shadows rubbed against them in her ward breaker spell.

A pointed tongue emerged to lick her lips in a lull of chanting, salty she noted. She was sweating quite a bit; these things were made to last, apparently.

No problem, she thought, soon it would break and she could use any shadow to make her escape with the prizes.

Oh yeah, she would need to pick up Ozeki, too. He didn't seem the type to take initiative if she left him here.

"Yu Mo Gwai Gui Fai Di Zao," the familiar chant broke into her thoughts. Just like a green beam shot past her to strike the vault door; her shadows dissipated and the wards began to brighten and expand.

Snarling, she turned in the air, already knowing what she would find. Uncle broke off his chant and spell as Jade faced him. Blowing steam off his puffer, he pushed his glasses back up his nose before pulling out his lizard.

"Jade, you have been doing _baaad_ magic _reseeeearch,_" he accused her casually.

"Oh yeah – it's incomplete, which is all kinds of frustrating, but I take to magic well. Always have, that's why you didn't want me as an apprentice, isn't it? You couldn't stand a pupil that would surpass you," Jade growled.

"So you went with Tohru. Spayed and tamed Tohru, who wasn't even interested in magic!" Jade shrieked.

"Uncle had his reasons. But your ears are closed to any answer Uncle gives besides what you hold in your head, yes?" Uncle answered.

"You think you can stop me by yourself, old man?" Jade taunted, waving her fans mockingly.

"You cannot get in while Uncle is here to repair Vault magic," Uncle pointed out.

"So, just defeat you and then it's easy pickings?" Jade smiled, showing off her teeth.

"You want a piece of Uncle, Jade?" he asked, holding his lizard and puffer at ready.

"Hell yeah, you will have no choice but to acknowledge me when I beat you at your own game. And I don't mean selling junk!

"Huo xun, Zong zai Xing!" Jade broke off her rant to chant, waving her fans by rotating her wrists.

"Yu Mo Gwai Gui Fai Di Zao," Uncle broke into his own chant, waving his charms.

"Xun, Zong-"

"Di Zao-"

"Huo xun-"

"Gwai Gui-"

"Xing!"

"Zao!" the wizard and sorceress chanted over one another. With the final words, Jade slammed her fans together, shooting out a beam of black chi, while Uncle brought his hands together, releasing a beam of green chi from the charms.

The energies collided, and pushed back toward Uncle. The black chi controlled nearly three quarters of the line before it began to be forced back. Jade's eyes widened in disbelief as sweat ran down her face; her magic was being beaten back. Slowly but surely, green advanced against black, towards her.

"How!" she roared, willing her energy to stop his.

"Uncle has more experience, more control. One more thing, Uncle has good magic! One more thing, Uncle is more motivated to save Jade than Jade is to be bad!" he told her, walking forward in the wake of this magic as Jade was subsequently forced back.

"No more things!" Jade protested as the green chi reached her fans. With a popping explosion, the Shadowkhan girl was hurled back. She hit the Vault wall, flaring its wards to life as they zapped her with chi, making her blow off it in a shower of sparks. She skidded on the floor, a fan falling from her grip.

"You will pay! For this!" Jade screamed from her knees. She pounded a fist into the floor, cracking the tile. Uncle said nothing, covering her with his raised puffer.

"Uncle, we're- oh!" Jackie shouted, before taking in the sight of Uncle holding Jade at fish point on her knees.

"Go old timer," Viper laughed, arriving with Tohru.

"Jade…" Tohru sighed in relief. Hissing, Jade snapped open her fan. Uncle fired his zapper, only for it to be deflected away by the fan. Instead of attacking him, Jade sprang forward and past him as he tried to get a bead on her. Swinging the blue and black fan, she fired off the widest chi arc she could.

Tohru's green blast pierced it and something white and green flashed past her eyes.

"Wha?" she uttered as paper appeared around her, glowing.

"Urk!" she gasped as the coiling paper tightened around her. Glowing green characters appeared across its length as she fell forward, her fan clattering to the ground.

Like Ozeki earlier, she struggled against the bonds, but this time the glow of the spell intensified and tightened. In moments, she was only able to toss her head about. Jade hissed, feeling a familiar draining sensation.

"Verde," she spat.

"Yes, I adapted the spells I saw on that container. I wasn't sure it would work, but it still reacts to your shadow chi," Tohru explained.

"Well, this is surprising – we won without even finding all the masks," Viper commented. Jackie almost admonished her for being too cocky, but it hit him then what they had. Jade was in a place she couldn't summon Shadowkhan; she already would have if she could. The latest mask was taken care of too. And she was now tied up in front of them.

"It's over?" Jackie asked the air. Uncle smacked him over the head with two fingers.

"Aiyah! Jade is still dark, we have much research to do before getting her back to normal. And forces of darkness do not roll onto back and give up like dog!" Uncle yelled at him and Viper.

"It is so not over!" Jade chimed in, from where she was trying to scoot along the floor like a caterpillar. Viper suppressed a chuckle at the sight while Tohru picked her up and slung her over his shoulders.

"Careful Tohru, do not let her near shadows!" Uncle warned, eying Tohru's shadow.

"We'll need a cell with full lighting, and magic; she might find a way to use her own shadow," Tohru agreed as he frowned at the corridor, picking out shadows along it.

"Shouldn't we just knock her out until we have a cell ready?" Wisker added from his spot sitting on the floor.

"When did you get here?" Jackie asked the agent.

"Before you; she tied me up. You really should be more observant, and you should knock out the kid," Wisker advised, getting to his feet.

"I don't think- Jade!" Tohru objected, before shouting as Jade began to shift in his grip. That wasn't the problem, the sound was; it sounded like all her bones were snapping! Before he could control his panic, his grip vanished around nothing.

"Aiyah!"

"Waah!"

"Wow," the heroes exclaimed as Jade compressed and lengthened into a naga and sprang from Tohru's shoulder onto the floor.

Her elongated body was covered in the black cloth, and the chi sutra still wrapped around her length, giving her a striped appearance. She landed headfirst, her coils pooling around the head for a moment. Jade recovered quickly, raising her head and shaking it.

"Jade? !" Jackie exclaimed.

"Later!" she hissed. Uncle fired a chi blast at her, too late as she surged away. Her serpentine flight evaded the barrage of green blasts from the wizard until she went between a stunned Jackie's legs and he was struck in the stomach by a blast. Jade vanished around a corner, Viper nearly on her tail.

Viper spotted a shadowed alcove and Jade making for it. The thief dove, reaching for the large snake her friend had turned into, the back of her finger brushing the tip of the tail as she hit the floor. All she had time to do was watch the tip of the tail vanish into the shadow.

"We had her," Tohru stated numbly as Uncle and Jackie ran up to where Viper pounded her fist on the floor. Wisker joined them standing next to the stunned wizard as they looked at the shadow Jade had escaped through.

"Next time, knock the kid out," Wisker told Tohru, straightening his tie.

_Windsor Mansion, Later:_

"Get this thing off me!" Jade bellowed. She was lying on the conference table, stretched to her full length, the paper still wound tight across her body. Blankman leaned over the table, looking at her intently while Hak Foo and Finn hung back, watching. Her bodyguards also hung back, silently watching the proceedings.

"Cunning, but clearly a first effort. It's already fraying after two uses, and the reinforcement spelling producing friction with the binding spells. Not even a real sutra, at least not a variety I have studied. You only need stop struggling and it will disintegrate in a day; a day-and-a-half if you keep struggling," Blankman reported.

"I can't wait that long! I could use a hand here!" Jade raged, coiling herself up. Finn coughed suspiciously, making Jade narrow her eyes at him.

"How did you regain your shape last time?" Blankman asked.

"I never went all the way, I contorted as needed and used what I had left to pop myself out," Jade hissed, the tip of her tail twitching in anger.

"Ah," the wizard remarked, putting his hands behind his back.

"Ah, what? How do I get back on my feet?" Jade demanded.

"I have no idea, but I have a solution to your paper problem," Blankman informed her, before turning and walking out of the room.

"Well, that's good, right?" Finn spoke up. Jade glared at him and he held up his hands defensively.

"This wouldn't have happened if you gave me the mask," Hak Foo declared.

"So that's why you're hanging around?

"Well, I got into this by popping stuff, I should be able to get out. Start squeezing me until stuff starts popping out," she ordered, unwinding herself from the coil.

"Oh, I am… I am not really comfortable with that," Finn grimaced, stepping back. No way was he gong to "squeeze" random parts of a little girl's body. Monster or not, that was a no go.

"Chimp unlocks puzzle," Hak Foo announced, stepping up to the table and grabbing the midsection of Jade's tail.

'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,' Jade thought as Hak Foo wrung her in that spot.

_Shortly:_

Blankman stepped back into the room to a bizarre sight. Hak Foo was being held by the arms by Left and Right, while Jade was striking his back with her tail like a whip. Not a very good whip, he noted, as his shirt wasn't even torn.

"You said 'unlock puzzle'! Not 'wring out towel'!" Jade yelled at him. Blankman cleared his throat, drawing Jade's attention away from the mercenary.

"I hope you have a real solution?" Jade growled, her tail tip raised and swinging menacingly. In response, Blackman pulled his arms out from behind his back, revealing a pair of safety scissors.

"Are you joking?" Jade asked flatly.

"No, he failed to reinforce it against purely mundane force. Please hold still," he requested, stepping up where she was on the table. Picking up the end of her tail, he found a border of the slightly glowing paper, and shoved the scissors under it. Jade jerked in response, but he held the spot steady.

"I have drawn no blood, one moment," the magical accountant told her. He closed the scissors, cutting clear through the paper. The glow flared, and then faded; grabbing the longer segment, Blankman began unwrapping it as a sighing Jade obliging rolled, letting him pull it away.

When the paper was pulled away, Jade shook herself down her length and let out a relieved sigh.

"Thanks, at least someone around here is dependable," the Queen said, before frowning back at her tail.

"My Queen, if I may?" Left asked, stepping up to her.

"Eh? You got some idea?" she asked, cocking her head. He nodded, and after a moment's hesitation, Jade nodded back.

Left made his hand into a fist, save for extended middle and index fingers. He jabbed her at what should have been the base of her neck, then her midpoint. He struck at least six other spots in a near blur before stepping back. A groaning sound emitted from Jade's body, before it seemed to burst then contract into its proper shape with a chorus of bone snapping.

Jade sat on the table and grabbed her knees with a smile.

"Ouch," she said cheerfully. Feeling up her body to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be, she stopped at her chest, hearing paper crinkle. Frowning, she reached into her robes and pulled out a very crumpled but legible piece of paper. She smiled, rereading what Ozeki had given her.

"What is that?" Blankman asked.

"Silver lining, silver lining," Jade answered.

_Section 13, Later:_

Captain Black sat in his office, his desk covered in reports. Damage reports that told him how long it would be before they could get their tech edge back. Injury reports that lacked fatalities but still showed a lack of sufficient manpower for the immediate future. Section 13 had taken it on the chin this time.

He had the Talismans working this time to convince his immediate superiors. He only hoped it stopped there. The Talismans might become a poisoned prize if people started to think of them as weapons to deploy.

Though he now had to face the possibility himself. He looked to the man seated across from him and kept his face straight.

"You're lucky they didn't notice you had shot Jade," he told Wisker.

"A glancing hit, I wasn't trying to kill her," the agent answered.

"Yes, that's good. But these aren't a few big bad monsters we are talking about; these Shadowkhan armies could threaten the whole world. Infinite troops, utterly obedient to an individual – an individual under evil influence.

"I hate to say it, but after today Section 13 can't afford to just follow Jackie's lead in the wings. I have a new assignment for you, Agent Wisker," Captain Black stated. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a folder and handed it to Wisker. The agent opened the folder, and after a moment's browsing an eyebrow rose over his sunglasses.

"What do we need this for?" he asked.

"Plan B," Black answered, putting his hands together.

_Prison:_

"Iron" Eddie Metcizwki rolled on his cot and glared out towards the bars of his cell. He usually went out like a light, since he was just a kid that had been the case. When he couldn't sleep, it usually meant something bad was in the air. He was proudly superstitious – there was too much freaky stuff in the world to be otherwise in his opinion.

Restless, he got to his feet and began to pace his cell. His hand drifted to his neck and he muttered a curse. He wished he had his charm, a lock of white horse hair he had bought down in Texas from an old native. It was supposed to ward off death spirits. He was pretty sure the guy was a fraud, but on sleepless nights it had eased his mind.

Walking to the bars, he placed his hands around the cold steel, peering into the darkness. Prison was a bad place; any number of things could be keeping him up out there in the dark. He had heard the rumors how before he got canned some geezer had been fake busted out to get conned by the Feds. And before that, a bunch of ninjas had led a breakout.

Others laughed at the idea; Iron Eddie reached for a charm that wasn't there.

He drew in a deep breath and nearly coughed. It was hot, when did the air get hot, he wondered?

At first he thought a door was opening somewhere, squeaky as hell, begging for oil like a starving man for scraps. But it stretched out and grew louder. Focusing on it the sound changed, thunder accompanied it, but not real thunder. A Western came to mind just as a horse called out.

Or at least it was the sound a horse might make if it was bigger than it had any business being and had a taste for humans.

Without realizing it, Iron Eddie was pressed against the back of his cell as the horrid cacophony drew closer, the stone quaking behind him as he longed to sink into it.

He knew what to expect before it blazed past his cell. He should have closed his eyes; he didn't want to see Hell's carriage, bloodstained iron and decaying black wood pulled by a demon. Worse was the coachman, come in person to collect whatever poor man had punched his ticket.

He didn't want to see them; he didn't want to know they existed! For a moment that stretched on as he couldn't breathe, it looked like that face would turn and see him.

'If it does, I die,' he realized, too afraid to even panic.

Then it was done. The carriage of the damned passed and the sounds vanished without so much as an echo. He fell to his knees and then his hands, panting, dripping with sweat, murmuring forgotten prayers.

Forget the talisman, he was looking for the chaplain. The Devil had passed him by tonight, and he never wanted to be that close ever again.

_Somewhere in Baton Rouge:_

Monsieur Verde poured over a scroll spread on a trinket-covered desk with a magnifying glass. His hat hung from the same rack as his coat behind him in the cramped space. Wood hit wood nearby and the wizard raised his head. Plopping a tiger statuette on one end of the scroll and a wood carving of a spearman with a far too big head on the other end, he rose from his chair.

Tattoos swirling on his bare arms, he opened a door into a deep closet, the walls entirely lined with masks – wooden masks with the scent of antiquity, unpainted specimens smelling of the carving table, and a number of crude plastic atrocities freshly repainted with his marks.

A bare spot on the wall nearly screamed amidst the host of hostile faces.

He kneeled to pick up the mask from the floor, both pieces of it. Brushing aside the white hair, he took in the likeness of Daolon Wong, split down the middle.

Stepping out of the closet, the door closed behind him with a thunk. Tossing the mask pieces aside, he didn't look as they fell into a trashcan. Long strides carried him past the desk to a cupboard he gently opened and pulled a shoebox out of, smile widening as he stroked the lid.

"A class act, ended on a sour note but still a good performance. But wait till they get a load o' me," the dark man grinned, opening the box.

The mask fragments burst into flame, burning almost merrily in the metal trashcan.

_Windsor Mansion:_

Blankman looked over a document with a blank expression; giving a nod, he placed it in the tray labeled "OUT". Next to it were three more boxes – IN, QUEEN, and LEGAL. Reaching for the next to last paper in the "IN" pile, towered over by the "QUEEN" pile, he stopped.

Frowning, he reached down, pulling open a desk drawer. The drawer was empty save for a box of cards labeled "Windsor Ace" in curving Ol' English style. Picking up the box, he opened it with one hand, and a card popped out from the deck to flutter in the air. Plucking the card from the air, he turned it over. A stylized image of Daolon Wong adorned it, partially covered by a black X.

"This could be… troublesome," Blankman remarked. The card crumpled in his grasp, before dissolving into dust.

_Elsewhere:_

Laughter echoed through the dark stone chamber, statues of Chinese soldiers standing silent guard in the meager torchlight. A wizard dressed in a very dark classical Chinese style practically danced, holding a clay doll covered in cracks.

"Alas Sifu, you did not get me after all! Now you can watch from Hell as I succeed where you failed!" the wizard cackled.

Raising his hand, he threw down the clay likeness, shattering it across the stone floor. Grinning from ear to ear, he pulled out a remote control, pressing a button.

Light flooded the room, sending him to blinking. He stalked across the space now obstructed by light to stand before a sphere set in a glass pedestal. Running his hands over it, Chinese characters briefly flared into life in their wake.

"Perfect, simply perfect. All is ready for my reign to begin," he sighed contentedly. Stepping back, the overdressed wizard reached into his pocket and pulled out an orange sphere a bit larger than an apple. Narrowing his eyes, he could just make out the shape in its depths.

"Only one wish left, but it will be the key to the power to begin granting my own wishes. My night is coming at long last," he whispered, stroking the smooth surface. Withdrawing his other hand, he pulled out a glass vial. Holding it up to the light, the single black hair within became visible.

* * *

**1). "**The living twilight, gather and form". Chant courtesy of Nocturne no Kitsune.

**AN:**

_Well, I am back to this story. Did you miss it? This chapter stalled something fierce, but I am a bit sad to see it end, in all honesty._

_Hope the absence hasn't made me loose my touch with this story._

_Ozeki was fun to write. As for Wisker, don't worry about OCs crowding things; he has a very specific purpose in the tale._

_Expect the next chapter much sooner: "A Matter of Humanity: Come Reap". Chapter Ten, finally – this is a big one._

_Until then, long days and pleasant nights to you all._


	13. A Matter of Humanity

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures.

_Betaed by_: Zim'sMostLoyalServant

**AN1:** What is this, has your computer made an error? Have we stumbled into a mirror world where Eduard Kassel actually updates quickly? Maybe in this mirror world Sym-Bionic Titan wasn't cancelled? ! …No, still no resolution, stupid mirror world.

It's no Tartakovsky, but I hope you enjoy the special update.

**WARNING:** **Chapter contains violence and depictions of suffering.**

* * *

**PDJ Presents:**

"Queen of All Oni"

CHAPTER X

A Matter of Humanity

OR

_Come Reap_

Jade adjusted herself on her massive bed, fully clothed still, atop the blue blankets. She glanced to the side, where Blankman was flipping through the contents of a clipboard. She had noticed the man always seemed to opt for paper rather than electronics for his work. Old fashioned, or some wizard thing, she wondered?

"So, you've laid the groundwork?" Jade inquired.

"Yes, matters have progressed as far as I am comfortable without being on site. Such a thing shouldn't exist under Mexico City, you realize?" he told her.

"A wizard did it, duh. Or perhaps a spirit, demon, thing?" Jade answered.

"Naturally, magic allows many things to be where they have no business being. Fortunately, the magically hidden can be found in ways non-magic concealment would evade," the bespectacled man continued.

"It's definitely there. Never mind the riddle – now that I have a location, I can feel it just looking at a map. My blood longs for its heritage," Jade sighed.

"Perhaps we should delay this until after we secure the tablet?" Blankman suggested.

"There's no guarantee I'll get away with the tablet. 'Darkness amongst darkness'… I get the feeling the tablet isn't the only thing that's down in this 'underworld' you're looking for. Besides, I just _know_ Jackie will be there too. The King's aid or advice could make all the difference; I can't lose the tablet to Jackie. He will not deny me my magic," she growled.

"Please leave, I'm ready to begin," Jade told him, letting out a long breath. She turned her face to the ceiling and Blankman gave a nod of acknowledgment, moving to the open door. He gave another nod to Left and Right at their spots guarding the door as he passed. They closed the door behind him with a thunk.

_Astral Realm:_

Twilight shined through the glorious cloudbanks, coloring fluffy mountains of gold with purple ridges and deep red canyons. A black serpent with a human head emerged from a gold stained cloud to slither through the air. With a grumble, she shook off the bits of fluff that had stuck to her form.

"These things weren't so much trouble in Aladdin. Right, reel that temper in Jade – no more fooling around. I have the one mask and I am free, unlike the others. I also know where to look for the next Tablet. Bargain up but be respectful, jerks like getting their asses kissed. I can gargle the taste out later," Jade told herself, coiling up.

"I can't believe it's come to this. HEY KING! IT'S GENERAL JADE, I'M READY TO TALK!" Jade shouted to the sky. Her voice didn't echo, and it occurred to her that actually made sense. She sat in the air, tail starting to flick with irritation while her eyes slitted.

"HEY, YOU COMING? !" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"**I COME**," a thunderous voice answered her. It was booming but somehow not raised; her tail tucked back into her coil as her eyes widened. Surprised at the display of badass audio, she was stunned for a moment but rallied.

"So that's how you want to play it? Well, I have a few astral tricks of my own," Jade muttered.

Closing her eyes, she began to whisper a chant, unwinding her form. Her tail lengthened and thickened substantially. Along her tail, segments rose and hardened in shiny smoothness. Whipping herself, bumps popped up, one on each segment. With another crack, the bumps bloomed into spikes from her segments. Tossing her hair, it lengthened near twice over to wrap around her head and hardened in a gleaming whole. Cracking her neck one way and then the other, a fang sprouted into view on each side of her mouth.

"I'm set for the astral intimidation, I have bargaining power buster," Jade smirked. She heard the cloudbank behind her part as something large moved them aside.

"Alright, Your Majesty, let's-" Jade stopped in her intro, frozen. Her spikes drooped along her back.

A dragon was looking at her, its head sticking out of the clouds. It was green, had antlers and glowing blue eyes. Its head was also about the size of three buses. Double-deckers.

"I don't suppose you're the King?" Jade managed, seeing herself reflected in an eye about as tall as Jackie. He exhaled, releasing a puff of smoke, watching her with palpable contempt.

"Wrong number, sorry!" Jade apologized. Turning tail, she zipped away. The dragon leaned forward, jaws already open, and snapped the shadow snake out of the air. With a contemptuous grunt, it pulled back into the cloudbank.

"Behold Tarakudo, King of the Shadowkhan, Lord of All Oni! At last we… meet?" the giant head announced loudly, emerging dramatically from a cloudbank, only to trail off, realizing he was alone.

"What? Don't tell me she got cold feet again. Hello, Hellooo? ! …Well, back to the cage," he muttered, before being tugged back out of sight.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

"Big guy, you okay?" Viper asked. The sumo-turned-wizard had braced himself against the wall and slid down to sit on the steps. The thief walked up the stairs to where he sat, head in hands.

"I…" he tried lifting his face to her. He looked confused and pained.

"Doctor?" she demanded.

"No, a willy like no other. Something bad is happening, now," Tohru told her.

_Windsor Mansion:_

The balding man in the suit stopped his walk down a hall adorned with Victorian portraits. Allowing himself a small frown, he reached into an inner pocket, tucking his clipboard under an arm.

Blankman pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. It had a black circle connected to an empty one by a swirling line drawn on it. But now it was ripped. Pulling out a remote, he turned a dial on it, flaring runes all along the outside of the mansion into life.

"Most unfortunate," he stated, turning to walk down the hall.

_Elsewhere:_

The massive form of the dragon's spirit filled the chamber. Even through his aura of protection, the wizard felt the weight of its presence even as he failed to see its full length. But it passed directly through the sphere in the round chamber's center, the arrays of spotlights already lighting it up as their illumination caught in the glass. The sphere turned dark on its pedestal and the spirit's mass vanished in an eye blink.

He looked to the orange crystal ball in his hands, which darkened to black and cracked in his grasp. Used up, but it was no matter; he had gotten his wish. Placing it on the cluttered worktable, he turned his pleased attention on the next sphere.

"What the hell? !" his guest cried. Smiling and fiddling with his mustache, he stepped into her view, outside the perimeter of light created by spotlights. The sphere rested on a scaffold of transparent glass, letting the light flow unhindered into a sphere large enough to fit a child into.

At the moment it was occupied by a red eyed naga who seemed to be made of darkness, spiky mane whipping as she looked around.

"Greetings, I am-" the wizard spoke up as her eyes fell on him.

"In so much trouble!" it screeched. Coiling it sprang at him, only to slam face first into the glass. Hissing angrily, it struck at the glass three times with its tail. Its eyes widened in recognition and he smiled, clasping his hands.

"That glass is indestructible from the inside, and made to hold the enchanted. And with no shadows thanks to these lights, your elemental abilities are null. And no true physical body means you cannot hex me either. You are a snake in my cage, Shadowkhan," he announced. She bared her teeth at him, and his expression remained unchanged.

"From the inside; good to know. Left! Right!" she called. They both glanced about, to see nothing happen.

"Summonings? With no shadows to work with and light beating on you, that will also not work," the wizard chuckled dryly.

"You think you're so smart. Hate to break it to ya, but I have a thing for getting out of fixes," the diminutive elemental sneered.

"Ah, but none has taken the steps I have to secure you. The trick was getting a hold of you, then getting you inside a sphere that has never been opened since its forging. It took a hair and a wish, but you are now in the perfect cage to hold you, sealed," the wizard explained proudly. Jade scowled and lashed the glass with her tail again. It didn't so much as scratch or move.

"No way some new timer could seal me," she hissed.

"Have no fear, my goal is not to seal you. I am not a foolish good wizard to lock away that which has such use," the wizard commented. He was prowling about behind the lights, Jade squinting to watch him.

"If you're not on Jackie's team, what's the deal?" Jade demanded.

"Daolon Wong is dead," the overdressed man declared. Jade's mouth hung for a second at those words before clamping up.

"Even while depowered he still had a role, a role that has opened with his passing. My sifu was the great dark wizard of the times. Now that he is gone, the position is open, the power is there to be gathered anew, by another," the wizard elaborated theatrically.

"Wait a minute – you were his student, and you want what he had?" Jade asked.

"Yes," he answered with relish.

"Loser. Any decent dark wizard would try and overthrow their sifu and take his power by conquest. And here you are waiting till he kicks the bucket to make a play? Lame," Jade shook her head, baring fangs in a grin.

The wizard frowned and held up a remote control with a dial for her to see. He turned it slightly and the light intensified some. Jade closed her eyes and looked down, but there were low lights angled up. Eyes slitted, she glared at his shape.

"You are in no position to make slander, Your Majesty. Shadows are formed from light _and_ darkness; complete absence of either is detrimental to your kind. You're not so weak as other elementals, having forms of flesh with power flowing through them, rather than bodies held together by that energy.

"But your astral form incarnated onto this plane is composed of pure shadow chi shaped by and containing your mind. And as you are feeling, it is quite vulnerable.

"You asked what I want, the answer is you," the wizard declared.

"Excuse me?" Jade hissed, trying to focus on him. The sphere was getting hot; she would be sweating if she could. As it was, very hot was summing it up.

"Shadowkhan have in the past been rented out by their Kings and Generals to those willing to pay a price. Sadly, Tarakudo put a stop to that trade. But since your great King's imprisonment, they are thrall to whoever knew how to summon them from their prisons.

"Binding a General, much less a royal, has never ended well due to their immense power. But never have I heard of a fledgling holding such rank.

"You will be my familiar, and by extension all you command become mine to do with as I please through my ownership of you," he proclaimed.

"Like Hell! I'm no one's property!" Jade shouted.

"Yes, I expected as much. If it were easy to force a familiar contract, everyone would do it. And it actually cannot be forced; you have to agree to serve me. Using a hair of yours, I have already performed the ritual. Now that we are face to face you need only submit yourself to me. The exact words aren't important, I already carved the contract onto the bone of a dragon. Just say the words and it is signed," the wizard continued.

"No," Jade deadpanned.

"Yes," he answered turning the dial again. Jade closed her eyes against the intensifying light.

"I have not gone to all this trouble to be thwarted so easily. You decide when the light stops and I break the sphere, just four words will do. 'I submit to Lung'," the wizard smiled as she began to probe the sphere blindly, eyes screwed shut.

_Windsor Mansion:_

"Gentlemen, we have a problem," Blankman announced.

The Shadow Hand had gathered in Jade's bedroom. Her still form lay on the bed, unresponsive to the intrusion.

"What is wrong with Her Majesty?" Left demanded. The Shadowkhan flanked her bed while Blankman stood at its foot, the other humans gathered by the door.

"Astral projection, conducted outside my wards. As I understand it, she wished to reach an understanding with the much-rumored King. As His Highness seems to also have access to the astral realm, this was the ideal manner of establishing a dialogue. While there are of course risks in such journeys, her magic and some tips from my own experiences made her confident to confront him.

"Clearly, something has gone quite wrong. The monitoring spell I placed with permission indicates the connection between her mind and physical body has been cut. This occurs when astral projections intrude on the physical realm, leaving the body vacant and the astral form little more than a phantom. Or so is the case with humans.

"Her continued absence is troubling, and while my rune wards ensure no spirit will be able to possess her body but her, we are down one-third a Queen."

"If she is in the physical world, someone must have forcibly summoned her," Right cut in.

"Most likely, though with her youth it would be difficult as no contracts or curses bind her, save for Ikazuki's. Though a skilled wizard could do it with something of her body, such as a hair," Blankman continued.

"I burned all her bodily leavings. But I am apparently a failure," Left stated.

"That would explain the backyard smell," Finn commented.

"Enough, our Queen needs us. Show us were to go," Left demanded of the wizard.

"That she has not made contact or escaped means she is held well by a wizard who knows what he is doing. The best I can do is target a modified seeker on her," Blankman stated.

"Seeker?" Right asked.

"Seeker, essentially a compass made of enchanted paper that points not north, but toward the one whose blood is used on the arrow.

"Normally, it's difficult because people tend to not leave their blood lying around. Fortunately we have plenty here. Less fortunately, I will need to attune it to point to her chi rather than blood. Since she is a magic creature and the two overlap that should be possible," Blankman explained. Drawing a syringe from his suit pocket, he stepped toward the bed. Left stepped in front of him and held out his hand. Blankman relinquished the syringe with a nod and stepped back.

Reaching into another pocket, the businessman/wizard pulled out a sheet of paper and began to fold it.

_Meanwhile:_

Lung watched the Shadowkhan slither about in his sphere, her instinct to fight or flee setting her off to pointless flight across the smooth glass. It made for an amusing sight.

He felt light on his feet, his heavy robes almost felt as if they were gone. Soon he would have the power of an entire tribe of Shadowkhan _and_ its leader at his disposal. And unlike the pitfall of most pacts with the greater forces of magic, he had a chance to dictate terms; he, a mere human wizard, would truly be the master. Not a partner, or a favored vassal, but uniquely the master over the contract!

It was all going according to plan. All he had to do was wait for her to give in. Actually, it occurred to him watching her frantic circling in the sphere, it may be time.

"Do you submit to me?" he asked politely.

"Go to Hell, loser!" the creature shrieked at him. It tried to spit at him but lacked the fluid so instead started ramming its head against the glass again.

He decided waiting was growing tiresome. Lifting his remote control, immaculately cared for fingers twisted the dial to MAX.

With an audible hum the light grew more intense; even from his spot in the shadows, sweat began to trickle down his neck.

She was facing out and took it to the face. With a sizzling pop, darkness retreated to reveal wide red orbs.

"RAUHHHHHHHH!" she screamed, rearing back to fall, her tail thrashing around as she twisted, intense and relentless light burning her form and piercing lidless eyes.

Lung clasped his hands and waited.

'You see, Sifu – I am worthy of your mantle. I think of everything," Lung thought smugly.

_Outside San Francisco:_

"What now?" Right asked. He and his brother stood on the beach, the water surging over the sands to worry at their feet. Left stood slightly in front of him, holding out the paper compass, its needle stained with their leader's blood. Pointing out to the sea.

_Jade Sea:_

A fierce storm was raging. The twilight pierced the odd hole in the black cloudbanks above, lending eeriness to the scene of tumult. The cloudy seas were just as dark, swirling and rising in electrically crackling waves, and actual water was swirling about in some places.

Lightning sundered the heavens, turning the horizon white, and revealing the mighty vessel cresting atop the waves, silhouetted mystically.

"The _Jade_, finally," Hero whispered. His recently expanded _Failure _lurched beneath him and he jumped down to the deck as the mast snapped and fell to vanish into the clouds. He landed standing on the deck at the head of the slapped together vessel. He faced his equally motley crew, grinning.

They weren't much but it had improved; Doubt had let him snare some and he was certain more would quickly return to their proper allegiance.

"Men, women, and little girls! We stand-" he began, before a series of thunderclaps drowned him out. Glaring at the sky, he turned his attention back.

"This is a day that will-" A wave of water washed over the vessel, leaving him soggy. Kicking a flopping purple sea pony off the deck, he turned back to his audience.

"Be proud for-!" he ranted before the ship plunged off a narrow tall wave to nearly capsize. Getting back to his feet, he glared around before opening his mouth.

"Hey, you stepped on my shoes! Those are new!" Prissiness called out from the crowd just as he opened his mouth. As thunder rolled, Hero looked over his shoulder at the ship whose T they were about to cross.

"Oh, screw it. Give 'em Hell and take back what's ours!" he yelled at his crew. A cheer went up, along with some other exclamations he could not readily identify.

"Mr. Science, are we on course?" Hero inquired, turning back to stand dramatically at the head of the ship as the wind dramatically pulled at his cloak. A steampunk/cybernetic bald Chinese man in a lab coat walked up to him.

"You do realize this ship will tear itself apart hitting them," the other personification reminded him in a deep monotone.

"Of course, it's the most badass entrance under the circumstance. Her Haughtiness will never see it coming. Now change your shoes sir, cause we're about to kick ass here!" Hero told him as the _Jade_ filled their view.

The enemy had only time for cries to go up before the _Failure_ struck the broadside and shattered into timber. Rebels and wood fell across the wide lurching deck as the rains poured down with a vengeance.

Hero rolled to his feet and raised his hand to catch a cutlass across the chain. Forcing the blade up and the manacles down, he grabbed the hands around the hilt and found himself face to face with a blue woman.

She wore classical Chinese armor adorned with jewels and wore a modern General's cap sewn from gold on her head. Her face was all too familiar.

"Ambition, it's been awhile. I liked you better with Captain Black's look," Hero greeted.

"You are a fool, your ship is gone, there will be no retreat for you this time," the Shadowkhan growled.

"Retreat? I'm here to win," he grinned. With a hearty laugh, he kicked her in the stomach, fancy armor shattering easily under his knee. She flew back, but the sword stayed in his hands. He heard Rage's bloodthirsty howl and adjusted his grip before rushing into the storm of battle.

His laughter echoed over the thunder with the clash of steel.

_Outside:_

'Gotta get away, gotta get away, gotta get away, gotta get away, gotta get away, getaway, getaway, getawaygetaway,' Jade's mind reeled.

Sliding, smashing, crashing against the smooth surface around her. It was getting bigger she thought, mocking her. She couldn't see; white light filled her vision and for some reason her eyes wouldn't close.

Opening her mouth, her teeth scrapped and screamed, looking for any flaw or purchase to bite into. Her jaws snapped fast and furious, making her head feel like it was going to split. But it was flawless; there was no purchase.

Her screaming reached a despairing higher octave. Someone was talking but she couldn't hear it over the pain as her flesh bubbled and diminished.

_The Jade:_

A Jade sat in the rigging, watching the battle play out below. Her expression was of mild interest as the rebels fell till only a handful fought on. The true matter was the duel playing out between The Queen and Hero, who had forced her from the wheel to fight him, the sword drawn. While she had cut the sword he had pilfered in twain, he continued to evade her. His laughter brought a smile to the watcher's face.

A thunderclap that turned into tearing paper drew her attention upward, while everyone else stopped to focus on the epic battle of good versus evil.

The sky had ripped like the canvas background from an old movie. White space like a theater board beckoned beyond it. Pulling up her fur-lined hood, she leapt up into and through the sky.

It was time to have an overdue talk.

_?:_

Jade blinked at the white expanse in front of her. Up and side-to-side, it was all white. Looking down, she saw it was white she was standing on. She tapped her foot, confirming it was solid, whatever it was. She frowned, seeing the familiar shoes she was wearing. Not just that, she realized she was wearing her whole old ensemble.

"And this too?" the hoodie-wearing Shadowkhan questioned, lifting her silver crown off her head.

"This should be in the safe, with Ikazuki," Jade remarked, holding it in front of her. For that matter, why was she dressed like a sidekick? And how did she end up in this white room?

"Was I captured?" she asked, alarmed. That sounded a bit right; she thought back, trying to retrace her steps, and it came back in rush – the light.

"But how… what?" she stuttered.

"Don't ask silly questions," a familiar and strange voice called out. She turned and came face-to-face with herself.

This woman was older than her, twenty or so she would guess. The hair was the same and the face, while matured, was recognizable, if split. The figure seemed split down the middle, like Harvey Dent. The right was Shadowkhan attired in white ninja robes, showing a blue hand. The left was human, donning female cuts of Captain Black's attire. A jade chain necklace was the only thing to cross the dividing line.

"What the hell? Am I going crazy?" Jade wondered, taking a step back as those mismatched eyes bored into her. Not since she had left Hong Kong had she felt so impotent. Not even before a gaggle of demons.

"Correct, your head has cracked open and nothing so benign as a gentleman cricket crawled out to demand satisfaction.

"Madness can allow clarity, after a fashion; a sword cutting through the knot. In this moment – and it is a moment scanned aright – levels can meet that normally only influence one another," it spoke up, its voice too deep for her liking.

"Who are you?" Jade demanded, trying to sound tough.

"I am you. I am pervasive yet singular. Defined and solid, while untraceable and immutable. I am unlike the others you carry and who in their fashion carry you.

"They call me Greed in slander and ignorance. But that is not my name; I am Desire, Longing, Frustrated Vengeance, and Hope. I am myself and no one at all."

"I don't understand. This is just crazy," Jade laughed nervously.

"Yes, but it is real for you and it carries consequences.

"You are at war with yourself at the worst possible time, and the Hero and the Queen in their desire for dominion cannot see the peril. Father waits for who knows what. Thus, I alone am here to appeal.

"Only I did not come to beg, because we have never desired to abase ourselves before anything. Rather, I have come to make my demand, or perhaps to voice my utmost displeasure?"

"Wait a minute, if you're greedy shouldn't this be high times for ya? I mean, look at all the awesome stuff we got," Jade pointed out.

"Greed is petty; I can be greedy, but our eyes ever fall on the greater prize. My dissolution is paramount, my end in the nirvana of contentment a sole zealous driving quest!

"To that end, my first and greatest concern has always been the pursuit of what you truly want. And you have disappointed time and again. This will not do Jade!" the two toned woman yelled.

"Now hold on, I know I have been getting my butt kicked lately but I'm doing my best."

"Liar. You cannot deceive **me** in matters of desire. Our treasure is farther than ever; you betray me by settling for less than the utmost. You toss aside gold to bathe in coppers.

"You are dying. This wizard is a fool who assumed you valued life more than pride. He would rather fail than admit he made a mistake and you will perish for this clash of pride. Unless I lend you my strength.

"But why should I? I would rather die than not get what we want," the other her growled.

"Okay, this is crazy, crazy and dumb! I know what I want, because I am doing what I want. I am in control, not some fever dream.

"On the off chance this is something more than craziness, I am the boss and you will help me," Jade demanded.

"Oh, I might help, in fact I would very much like to. Dying doesn't get me what we want. It's just preferable to living without it. You just need to tell me," the two-faced her loomed over her.

"Tell you what?" Jade snapped.

"DON'T ASK ME STUPID QUESTIONS! I WON'T PLAY STUPID GAMES! SPEAK YOUR DESIRE AND BREAK FREE! OR DENY ME AND BURN!" it boomed and Jade found herself no longer standing on the white expanse. She stood in and over the seam of two cupped hands, one human, the other Shadowkhan, the other her's gigantic divided face looming over her.

"I… my desire is to be free to do as I please!" Jade shouted back. The words echoed and the white cracked, letting light stream in.

"LIAR, NOW IT FALLS TO OTHERS," the giantess spat. Its head reared back in a roar of frustration, the hands pulled apart, and Jade screamed as she plummeted into blinding white.

_Outside:_

Jade reared back, bisecting the sphere as her broken nose brushed the top while the tip of her tail touched the bottom. Steam rose from her shrunken length as it bubbled under the heat and her eyes stared unseeing.

"AAAAHHHH!" her jaw flung open in a shriek. The wizard stumbled back as chi and sound washed over the room. The sphere trembled along with the lights as he clapped his hands over his ears and opened his mouth. For a moment, fear filled him as the thought of opera singers shattering glass flitted through his mind.

But the sound passed and all the glass held. He smirked, and then went slack as the elemental collapsed. That was the only way to describe what he saw that came to his mind. Or melting – it went from rod straight to pooling on the bottom of the sphere. It must have started at the bottom, because the head floated a moment. Then he lost sight of that too.

He wondered if it had melted or was just submerged. Then Lung realized his flawless plan might not be working so well.

_Shadow Realm:_

Tarakudo's prison was nothing special. A bubble formed in the smoky ether of the Shadow Realm. It was only strong from the inside, too – that hack might have set him free accidentally!

Anyway, it was only meant to keep him undisturbed while locked in the spell of sleep. Granted, cut off inside the sphere from his element it was slow going eroding the prison. That good wizard and his apprentice had reinforced it as well.

But, it was only a matter of time before he burst these bonds. He was growing stronger, and soon he would have enough strength saved up to escape. Without his failed escape attempt he would already be free. Not a good idea on his part, he conceded.

But he was eager to get back to business; the world wasn't going to cover itself in darkness now was it? A secularized world where good magic had been pushed to the margins. A once in an era opportunity – no, even rarer! And here he was, stuck in a bubble!

Yoshitomo was probably laughing at him in the Pure Lands, mother's favorite.

Heh, funny how some grudges, even as they fade and lose their venom, still crop up.

He wondered how the new kid would turn out. His little sojourns into the astral realm and her mind had been intriguing. He would never have expected such resourcefulness, such drive, from a female.

Tarakudo's thoughts were interrupted as the eternal silence surrounding him was shattered. A shriek, higher than any that could ever be made by human vocal cords, tore through the darkness, causing the walls of the prison – and seemingly, even the shadows beyond – to shudder and twist from the vibrations of the noise. Tarakudo flinched, wishing he still had hands to cover his ears with, before his eyes widened as he realized he recognized that sound.

Not from his memory though, it stirred an image from elsewhere. Instinct?

Yes, he had been told of this by Karasu-dono – a female's cry.

Frowning, the King turned his attention on the crack in his prison that allowed sojourns into the Astral Realm and his General's heads. Tugging on the shadows through the crack, a scene formed before him.

A fortress built into a sea cliff face, humming with magic belying a decayed appearance. Honestly, what was with human dark chi wizards and squatting in squalor? Being bad didn't mean you had to throw good taste to the wolves!

The scene shifted though the corridors of the fortress, showing terracotta soldiers walking about on patrol. Like he'd never seen that old trick before. The next sight left him without snark.

"Shit," he slipped. The fledgling female was trapped, and getting the sunbath from Hell. The wizard, as tastelessly dressed as his home decor would lead you to believe, was just pacing about, wringing his hands. Incompetent extortionist, unless he missed his mark.

A Shadowkhan at the beck and call of a wizard; he could feel the old fires flare up from their smolder. The scene shifted, showing her lieutenants standing at the seashore, a continent away from where they needed to be.

Frown deepening the image split, showing Jackie Chan in some office drinking coffee, looking put upon. The wizards were at their research, the larger one clearly distracted but confused by it. As he watched, the elder wizard smacked his apprentice, who tried to get back to work. The thief… was asleep.

"Oh, what the Hell! Isn't this supposed to be your thing, heroes? !" Tarakudo snapped. The images dispersed and went back to the sphere chamber. Spheres, masks, contracts, it just went on and on!

She was going to die without outside help, and her allies were far and/or unaware. She was doomed and he would have to pick up the quest where she left off in a few days when he broke free.

"'A king…'" a voice reached him.

"What?" he glanced around for the intruder. But he knew that voice, and realized something. There was one person who knew and was in position to do something.

Yes, he could do that, he admitted, the simple battle plan forming swiftly. But not without cost. It would cost the energy he had gathered, more even; he would have to sleep for a time unless someone awakened him early.

She was a female; an intriguing one, yes, but still…

She was being killed by someone who wanted to bind her against her will, an inferior who had gotten the upper hand on his betters.

She was too proud to bow to someone she knew she was better than.

The Lord of all Oni remembered:

_The dark vapors of the sky shifted, casting red light onto the deserted city. Red cobbled lanes divided the structures of blue tile and black wood into their districts, save for one, which was turning black._

_The shadow samurai advanced in solid rank, swords drawn in front while behind them arrows flew. Shuriken flew from the shadows of a stable. One samurai fell as arrows flew by the dozen in answer._

_The ninja darted free of the volley, choosing life over cover. He received neither, as a katana pierced him. Ikazuki cleaned his blade as the ninja fell. The ambush had been sprung and he watched as his archers' arrows fell in volleys and his samurai pursued the ninja fearlessly._

_He turned his attention to the armored figure seated atop a dragon horse in the road._

_"Majesty, the enemy is few in numbers, unable to even hold this one approach. Victory is ours; the path to the Shrine will open if we so much as breath on it," the General reported. King Tarakudo cut an impressive figure in his red armor, adorned with black designs reminiscent of smoke, or perhaps mist. His horned helm was topped with a lock of human hair, oddly un-dyed. Yet his master looked troubled as he fiddled with his mustache._

_"Ikke', it is too easy. Even with Kaito's betrayal opening the way, our enemies are no fools. This is the war here; the great battle is being fought to keep us from the Elders, he would not leave them undefended," Tarakudo answered. He scanned the city before them as they advanced._

_The main avenue was now open to them, the stairs ascending to the Shrine and the hags in sight._

_"Where are you? Left, right, below…?" the King muttered. He glanced up and pulled out his katana._

_"Shuriken above!" he called out. Ninja stars fell like rain on the column of samurai. Steel sang against steel as those too far in the open to seek cover tried to deflect the steel with their swords. Though Ikazuki and Tarakudo pressed forward, carving a path, more and more of their troops fell lifeless to the street and evaporated._

_"Craven shinobi, striking from hiding!" Ikazuki cursed as he and his King pressed forward, shuriken ringing from their blades._

_"Show yourself!" Tarakudo roared as shuriken clattered to the ground around him. Surprisingly, the steel rain stopped; the samurai halted, scanning the rooftops to either side intently._

_"King Tarakudo, I am not easily surprised. I knew Kaito was weak, but I didn't think he was so foolish as to have his ambition outweigh his fear," an elderly voice echoed around them._

_"The Era of the Matriarchy, of the Elders, is over. But it need not be the end for you," Tarakudo called back. Ikazuki snorted, but his King ignored him._

_"Such arrogance. Karasu made a grievous error when he took your soul for the Court as collateral all those decades ago," the voice shot back. A figure rose on the roof to their left. Bows rose to take aim, only to be lowered at the King's gesture. He turned his horse to face the attacker._

_"Rain of Iron, I am honored to see your legendary might used against me. I must be a success to force you to exert yourself," Tarakudo smiled._

_"Bah," his foe spat._

_The shinobi was unmasked, revealing a hard lined blue face adorned with a white goatee. His head was covered with a black bandana that had the kanji for 'peach tree' painted on it in red, white hair peaking around the edges. He wore a black jumpsuit with armored gauntlets and shin guards, each with the kanji for shinobi engraved on them._

"_Hiruzen-sama, Jonin of Shinobi, Eldest of Shadowkhan, First Officer of the Court of One Thousand Candles, and Peach Plucker of Old; are you so determined to defy me?" Tarakudo asked._

"_That should be self-evident. You are not the first traitor King I have put down," the older Shadowkhan answered._

"_I resent that label; I do this for the good of the Shadowkhan. I saw amongst the mortals the troubles that come from the strong kneeling before the weak. I refused in life to submit to my inferiors, my afterlife is no different._

"_No offense to you! I have always had the utmost respect for your power. Though I admit it enrages me __that a great man like you degrades himself for those hags. You should be King!" Tarakudo shouted, pointing at the lone figure._

"_Hah! Arrogant as ever – you understand nothing. I have no interest in ruling anything, it is not my role. My role is to 'Obey and protect,' that has not changed from the day Izanagi sealed Yomi with his great stone," Hiruzen shot back._

"_Well then, I admit I am eager to see how I fair against the best," Tarakudo shrugged. Getting off his horse, he crouched before leaping to the roof Hiruzen stood upon. Rising to his feet, the King drew his katana, and they faced each other on the apex beam of the red tiled roof._

"_You were a fine General, Minamoto Tametomo, but I strongly advised the Elders against making you King," Hiriuzen admitted. He held up his hands, showing six shuriken between his fingers._

"_And the hags ignored your counsel, how predictable. Why though, if you approved of me as a General?" Tarakudo asked._

_Hiruzen answered by letting his shuriken fly as he leapt into the air. With a blur of steel, the King deflected four, letting the other two sail past harmlessly. His forming grin was stifled in a grimace. Eyes widening, he glanced over his shoulder, seeing the two shuriken embedded in his shadow. Looking at his chest and shoulder, he saw holes in his armor in mirroring spots, dark blood seeping out. The wounds stretched as he stepped out from them as if he was dragging them over him._

"_So it's not like the rumors, you don't 'cut shadows', you cut _through_ shadows," Tarakudo stated evenly._

"_There is a reason I have survived so long," Hiruzen grinned from his resumed place on the roof._

"_I'd be disappointed if you weren't as advertised, here's one of mine," the samurai answered. Scrunching his brow, the air around him distorted like a heat wave. A tile rose from the roof and began to spin in the air, then another, and another. The roof was bare in a moment, and Hiruzen looked at the cloud of spinning projectiles over them._

"_Not as stunning as your Iron Rain, but just try and dodge this," Tarakudo smiled._

_He was holding one hand out, palm extended; he lowered his index finger to point at the shinobi. With a thunderous whistle, the tiles shot forward._

_The King watched the elder warrior flee before his attack off the roof. He shook his head when Hiruzen ducked into a shadow; the tile simply followed him into it._

"_Not that easy," he admonished. Cries of anger from his troops turned him on his heel, and the King's jaw dropped._

_Hiruizen dashed nimbly and swiftly through the ranks of samurai; they didn't even have the time to attack him. The tiles were less agile, cutting a swath through Tarakudos troops._

"_Clever bastard," he growled, snapping his fingers. The tiles dropped to the ground, shattering._

_Hiruzen drew a tanto, short sword, and began striking out at the samurai around him, finding the small gaps in their armor before spinning away. When they pressed on him, he leapt onto one samurai's shoulders; seizing the head between his feet, he twisted and sprang away before the foe evaporated._

_He landed and was faced with a roaring Ikazuki, blade swinging towards him._

_Ikazuki struck with his war cry, his black blade whistling through the air. He blinked; Hiruzen had vanished. Glancing to where his sword was still held extended, he saw a pair of sandaled feet perched on the flat of his sword._

_Tarakudo scowled as he watched Hiurzen kick Ikazuki in the face, sending the General flying through a wall, out of sight. Calling on his mental powers, he pushed the samurai away from Hiruzen, forming a ring. The troops parted for their King as he came face to face with his foe again._

"_I thought we were dueling; isn't it shameful to draw in subordinates?" Tarakudo asked._

"_You speak to me of shame, traitor?" Hiruzen asked. Tarakudo only smiled, pointing with his sword._

"_The only shame I have is that a proud man like myself ever bowed before those he knew to be inferior!_

"_But come now, if we use magic tricks I'll destroy the city before we are done, and you'll kill all the brothers I brought with me. We both have something to lose, so let's settle this the old way," Tarakudo proposed. He lifted his sword into a high guard while his opponent fell into low stance._

"_You would wager everything on your sword?" Hiruzen queried._

"_That's how I lived. But first an answer to my question?" Tarakudo pressed._

"_Heh, it takes many things to be a King. In particular, putting your subordinates, those 'inferiors' you so despise, before yourself. Now let's finish this, Kagehime ride my blade," Hiruzen stated solemnly._

"_So be it, the King or the Matriarchy. One shall rise, one shall fall!" Tarakudo declared._

…

…

"_YAAAH!" they both roared, charging._

It was all so long ago, the King thought.

Tarakudo smiled at the memory, what a battle. What a foe, and what a shame it had ended as it did. He frowned, glancing about for anyone watching.

"I am the King," Tarakudo said. Gritting his teeth, the air in his prison began to distort.

_Outside San Francisco:_

Right was trying to think of something to say to his brother. They had been walking along the shore at his lead, and he feared the first boat they found, however lousy, would be taken for them to strike out to sea. Not a good idea, in his humble opinion.

They should go back, seek to wring something further from the wizard.

His sword flew from its sheath into his hand as his brother's shadows rose to seize him by the heels. It took a critical moment for him to realize he could also be threatened – too late. Even as he swept his blade down to cut his bond, he was pulled back into his element.

The transit was far more violent and fast than it should have been. This was no calling, nothing so polite… and then it was over.

Shamefully he was dizzy, finding himself stumbling on the solid ground suddenly under his feet. His sword tip bit into stone, steadying him. He heard the ocean before he saw it and thought for a moment they had not gone anywhere. But the sun was wrong, and his nose caught the air and told a different tale from before.

Turning away from the churning sea and his kneeling brother, he saw mountains quite unlike the rises of coastal California.

"Where?" he wondered, pulling his sword free.

"There," Left spoke up, getting to his feet. The compass was not pointing to sea anymore. The device in his hand was pointing to a ruin that reeked of malformed dark magic. Right smiled under his mask as his brother drew one of his blades.

_XXX_

Lung paced frantically across the chamber, biting a knuckle to keep himself from screaming in frustration. The fledgling had completely dissolved into a pool of shadow, and if it weren't for the way the shadows were shifting, he'd be convinced that she had expired.

"This isn't the way it was supposed to happen," he muttered, "I was supposed to break her, not kill her. She was supposed to serve me – why didn't this work? !"

He was supposed to secure the most advantageous contract of a familiar in history, gaining not only her obedience but also effectively all her minions and all else she had. He had done everything right, all the preparations, all the precautions, all the ingredients…

The wizard could not see where he had gone wrong.

He stopped his pacing to glare at the "shadow soup" swirling around the bottom of his perfect sphere.

"This is your fault," he seethed.

Soon it would be dead; he couldn't very well turn off the lights. The scar across his chest ached at the thought. Wong had played possum on him all those years ago and it had nearly cost him his life. This could be a trick to get out of the sphere…

There was too little time, no plan.

Red light started flashing behind him and he turned to see the crystal ball on his worktable pulsing red. The wizard scurried over to the table and held his hand over the sphere.

The red light fell away and revealed the entry hall of his fortress. His terra cotta warriors were fighting a pair of Shadowkhan – and falling, like wheat before a thresher.

"Impossible, there is no way! I thought of everything!" Lung howled, grabbing the crystal ball in his hands.

It was inconceivable – with swords, they were cutting though his golems. He gave a thin smile, clasping the top of the ball and chanting a spell; a wall near them flew open and a little something special came out, tentacles waving. The katana wielder, at a gesture from his companion, continued his dash, decapitating terracotta soldiers as he went.

That didn't kill them, but warriors without heads were proving less than ideal as they bumped into each other and proceeded to demolish themselves. He frowned as the Shadowkhan facing his pet dodged its swipes and sheathed his swords. Kneeling, the Shadowkhan reached into the shadows.

"A chainsaw? !" Lung protested. He could only watch, stunned, as his large squid-wolf monster was laid into by the ninja. Soon enough all its tentacles were flopping on the ground, leaving it little more than a large, hairless wolf. Frothing at the mouth, it leapt at the Shadowkhan, which took its head off with a swipe of the lumber tool.

The crystal flashed and shifted to the other intruder. He was almost here, Lung realized!

With a speed that nearly made his robes trip him up, he dashed to a pull rope near the far wall. Yanking on it, a stone slab slammed over the door and red runes flared into life in a circular pattern on it. Laughing, he lifted the crystal ball to his face in time to see the intruder sent hurtling backwards when he tried to cut through the stone.

Lung grinned and tapped the crystal ball with his middle fingernail. A blue shade came over it and he spoke into it as the other Shadowkhan came into its sight.

"Behold my Invincible Stone Gateway! I have spent years making my inner sanctum impregnable. No spell, no artifact of sorcery, no magic can so much as scratch it!

"Did you think it would be so easy mere slaves like yourself could overcome me? ! Well it isn't! Your Queen is at my mercy, she will die," he declared, lifting his eyes.

Yes, still alive, the shadow liquid was still moving.

"Yes she will die, unless… unless you…. Both of you-!" his rant was cut off as an explosion rocked the room.

The lighting system was very secure and did not waver, but he fell to his knees as stone clattered to the ground. He saw his invincible gateway crack, and oh so slowly fall forward and, in a thunderclap, shatter on the floor.

"No… no magic," the wizard whispered, shocked. A stick of dynamite rolled across the floor to rest in front of him, fuse nearly used up. With a cry of fear, Lung dashed his crystal ball on the ground, shattering it. A sphere of blue light engulfed him a second before the explosive went off, sending him flying.

Left and Right walked over the remains of the gateway, weapons drawn.

"What is it with you and dynamite?" Right asked his brother.

"I like the boom," Left answered solemnly, scanning the room.

His eyes landed on the illuminated area, and at the sight of the mass of shadow they widened and he was moving. Right watched him fill his hands with shuriken, viciously and swiftly killing the lights. Sparks fell in showers and Right noted some had actually missed their marks, embedding in the stone walls.

Speaking of which, he saw a hidden door sliding closed as the wizard made his escape. He was at the relevant wall, arresting its progress, in a moment. It took all his strength to force it wide again, but something snapped and it slammed back into place.

Holding out his sword, he tapped out a three beat rhythm and began his pursuit.

_The Jade:_

The sword was embedded in the deck, a plain looking saber, with a small jade piece carved in the shape of a teardrop hanging from a short chain attached to the pommel. The crew was holding back in a circle as the rebels formed a ring about the fight.

Hero circled, eyes drifting between his opponent and his sword. After that big thunderclap, the ocean had calmed, though the sky was still broken, and now it was right there.

He watched the Queen, dressed in a grown up version of the old queen dress, complete with bare feet of all things. The only difference was the crown she wore, her hair pulled up in classic style behind a spiky crown made of shadows.

"Fool, the sun has already set on your day," she declared.

"Self-proclaimed Queen of nothing, you call me a fool?" he shot back as they circled the sword.

"Your hands are bound," she reminded him.

"And still you hesitate," he answered, smiling.

"I am stronger, better than you," she stated.

"Yet you only get my stuff when someone outside gives you a leg up.

"Come on, we know how this ends. I'm the Hero, you're the Evil Queen; we fight, you win for a bit, then I go on a quest. Finally I return, we have an epic bout, I beat you and all is made right with the world.

"Hey!" he trailed off before they both exclaimed. Battered Ambition had jumped into the circle over the rebels' heads. The corrupted aspect reached for the sword's hilt, only to be sent flying by a haymaker and kick from the two dominating Aspects.

Now standing over the sword, the Queen punched him in the face while he kicked her in the gut. They both reeled back and took stances, starting to circle again.

"The peasants are getting antsy, we should finish this," the Queen remarked. Hero smiled and made a come hither gesture with his bound hands.

"Um, fellas, there's a hole in the ocean," Whimsy remarked lazily from her seat by the unmanned helm.

"Wha! ?" Hero and the Queen shouted in tandem. Knocking the crowd out of the way, they rushed to the front of the ship.

A massive maelstrom stretched before them, bigger than the largest island of the Jade Sea. And they were heading toward it.

"AHHHHH-Don't touch that-AHHHHH!" they screamed as they ran back across the ship, knocking some would be contenders away from the sword en route. They reached the helm, both grabbing it.

"Left!" Hero commanded, turning the wheel.

"Right!" the Queen countered, jerking it the other way.

"Left!"

"Right!"

"Left!"

"Right"

The ship veered side-to-side, and continued on course.

Science and a straitjacketed Fury watched the ship drunkenly but steadily make its way to the flush hole of the world.

"We screwed, ain't we?" Fury asked, turning her red eyes on ye olde cyborg.

"Yes," Mr. Science answered. A barrel rolled up to them labeled "pickled yams".

"There's always a way! And that way is Love! Let me out and – Hey what are you doing! ? Nooo!" the trapped Aspect screamed as the two tossed her overboard into the swirling clouds.

"We don't need more complications," Mr. Science remarked, dusting off his hands. Fury nodded agreement before head-butting him in the face. Apparently she had opted to die like she lived.

"Port!"

"Starboard!"

"Port – oooh my!"

The pointless fight degenerated as the _Jade_ crested the edge of the maelstrom. Knocking his rival to the side for a moment, Hero spun the wheel, sending the ship skirting the precipice. He let out a laugh/sigh… then the ship began to tilt.

"Problem, hey now!" he shouted, seeing the Queen trying to pull the sword clear of the deck. Leaping down to the deck, he scrambled to keep from sliding as the ship tilted, the white foam heart of the maelstrom coming into sight over the railing.

Dodging falling and sliding Aspects, he scrambled across the deck, grabbing the hilt from the Queen as the ship went vertical.

Each of them, with one hand on the hilt as a handhold, began to kick and jab at the other as they hung on over the gaping oblivion.

A high-pitched, annoying, shriek drew their attention as Prissiness slipped from whatever purchase she had to fall toward them. With a grunt, Hero's free hand pulled the shackle chain to near twice its length to grab the girl by the dress.

"Got ya," he informed the still shrieking girl. She rotated in his grip and her eyes popped wide, looking back at him.

"Finger-pry-bad!" she shrieked.

"Wha?" he asked, before he felt someone fiddling with his other hand. He was not surprised to see the Queen's free hand prying at his fingers around the sword.

"Sucks to be good some days; no free hand means I win," she giggled.

"Perhaps, but it sucks being evil every day. Because for all the big words and fancy clothes, at the end of the day you are nothing but a lousy BIIIIIIIIIIIIII-!" Hero shot back, then yelled as he and his burden plummeted into the maelstrom, vanishing into the white below.

"I did it! I did it! I-I-I… I'm still screwed, aren't I?" the Queen's cheer trailed off as she continued to hang from the sword while the ship groaned.

_Outside:_

Left's arms were going numb; his sleeves had been ripped away when they started to burn from the backlash. The orb was healing itself, but it was loosing ground to his assault. He slammed his pommels down again on the cracked glass and it buckled, the weapons actually sinking into the surface.

A thought persisted to conjure some other tool, but anything more extreme could hurt his captive Queen. And his instincts screamed that there was no time for surgical precision.

He struck again with a *cling*, the energy surging over his arms. With a snarl, he reared back for another blow; it was more fractured than ever. The pommels struck with a thunk, breaking through in two holes.

"Kah," he huffed in pained triumph. Then the swords slipped from numb fingers to clatter to the ground as he pulled them free.

"No!" he cursed. He was so close – the sphere would seal itself anew! A solution came to him; there was no thought, only action. He slammed his head down, brow striking between the two holes with all the force he could muster. The sphere exploded out in mystic energy and glass.

He woke on the floor, and realized he must have blacked out for a moment. Blinking away spots in his vision he came to his feet, arms functioning even as his hands still felt like splinters. Rising, he looked to his target; the sphere sat on its pedestal, its upper half gone, the remainder blackened, cracked, and dead.

Staggering to the pedestal, he ignored the lights of pain on his face, shards of glass piercing his mask to draw blood beneath. Pain was irrelevant; the Royalty was all that mattered. He could barely feel her presence, the meager chalice's worth of black goo in the base of the sphere unmoving.

Bracing himself, Left lowered his twitching right hand towards it, fearful that it had all been for nothing. The despair that threatened to overwhelm him was replaced by surprise as the substance stirred. It twisted in the basin, cohering into a cord like shape.

"My Queen?" he asked mutely, hopeful. Swift as a snake, it launched from its shattered prison and wrapped itself about his bare arm, constricting tight. Left stepped back, lifting the arm, looking at the darkness adorning it. It bit him all along its length and he fell to his knees, screaming. Steam rose along his arm as Jade seized instinctively on the sustenance presented before her.

Falling to his back, Left stifled his screams and held the arm aloft as the cord thickened along its length.

_Meanwhile:_

Lung was a planner; it was his best trait. He recalled how as a child he had hidden sticks and rocks about the street and alley for his use. So when he had the need or desire for something to bash others with, he would pull them seemingly out of thin air. He had learned that with enough preparations, even stronger and more skilled foes could be laid low.

It was a trait that had made Daolon Wong take interest in him. That day when he had crossed a line he had been skirting and reached for a hidden weapon only to find it not there, and the same for the second spot he tried as his assailant bore down. Lung had not been able to reach a third hiding place.

Wong had been responsible, and appeared to him as he woke bruised and bloody on that dirt street, stripped down to his filthy trousers. Wong had called it his first lesson and the only one that would ever be given for free.

'It's not how good of a planner you are, but how good you are when the plan fails,' the old dark wizard had told him in that condescending way.

Lung had taken it as a challenge, using his plans to secure a place as Wong's student and then defend the position. He had eventually made a plan that should have not only ended Wong but secured him nearly all the power his sifu possessed. Wong had cheated him though.

Instead of ascending to become the new Darkest Wizard, he had been forced to flee for his life. All the resources he had been forced to abandon, and then having to spend decades lying low, hiding from Wong's vengeance as he tried to gain enough power to finish what he started.

Wong's downfall and death solved one problem neatly, but those other two were simply too dangerous. If he knew about them, they could know about him. He had dared make use of the shadow mage, hoping the man's arrogance would keep him at bay for now. Little did those two know he would seize overwhelming power in one fell swoop as his well-laid trap fell into place, securing him the power and station that should have been his all those years ago.

But yet again fate cheated him, and his chest scar throbbed as Wong's mocking scolds drifted over the years. He was hunted in his own fortress! But he would escape, he had learned – well-stocked safe houses were ready for this scenario. He could hide from Wong; this upstart's minions would be no challenge.

In fact, it was time he was rid of this one! He grabbed one of the torches lining the corridor and pulled it down to lie backward. He spied the pressure opiate move, and glanced at the slits in the wall – a triple slice of Shadowkhan, delightful.

_Jade Sea:_

The Queen hung from her perch, looking down into the maelstrom while the _Jade_ groaned in protest.

"This sucks!" she railed, kicking at the air as she held onto the sword. A resounding *BOOM* drew her attention up to the torn sky above. She saw the speck of shining blue a moment before it filled her vision.

"AHHHHH!" she screamed. A column of blue light flecked with red lightning descended past the Jade to pierce the heart of the maelstrom.

"What the HELL? !" the Queen demanded. A rumbling sound began building below, and dreading what she would find she looked down.

Between her bare dangling feet, she saw sea foam running up from the maelstrom.

Closing her eyes, she tightened her grip on the sword. The waterspout exploded into the sky, lit by the column, sending the ship flying and scattering Aspects across the sea with screams and cheers beneath the tattered heavens.

_Outside:_

Lung wiped his brow with a long sleeve and looked back down the corridor; it was empty. Then he heard it, that same tapping rhythm, but still! He turned away as the sea wind blasted his face, looking down the steps carved into the sea cliff.

His skiff was still docked, its sea serpent figurehead visible by the red glow of its eyes. He need only reach it and he was a mere word away from a secluded inlet on the Indian Ocean. Pulling up his robe with one hand, he began to run down the stairs.

He heard something behind him and turned his head, stumbling. There was nothing behind him but steps. Realization hit him, and he glanced down directly behind him. The black shape barely registered before steel flashed and blood spilled on the stones.

With a cry, Lung toppled from his awkward stance. The wizard hit the steps and kept rolling down the steep descent, feebly scrambling for purchase.

He hit the crude wharf with a thump. His forehead had been scraped at some point; he wiped away blood as he pushed himself blearily to his elbows. The skiff, so close!

He tried to stand, but couldn't seem to find his left foot, so he crawled.

'Almost! Made it!' he thought, grinning through a split lip as his outstretched hand grasped the ancient wood. A foot slammed down into his back, forcing him down. He cried out in pain and fear, his remaining foot seized to drag him away from his only chance of escape.

A sandaled foot thrust under his stomach and he was flipped onto his back. The wizard cringed in pain from his leg and his battered frame from the fall. All thoughts of the healing potion stashed up his sleeve were forgotten as he truly saw.

The Shadowkhan stood over him, cleaning its sword with a stained cloth, looking down on him with blazing eyes. He didn't see the ninja let the cloth fall and be taken by the winds; he couldn't break that stare.

Right reversed his grip on the sword and tilted his head, wondering. That broke the moment, and the wizard began to sputter.

"Parley! I have much I can offer…" the wizard sputtered loudly. Right seemed to think better of his grip and returned it to normal. Spreading his feet slightly, he hefted his sword over his head, looking down at his prey.

"Wait! MERCY!" Lung cried out, lifting his hands up.

"No."

*Shink*

...

*Rip*

Right used the bit of silk from the wizard's gown to wipe down his blade. Once it was clean to his satisfaction, he tossed it into the brine and casually cut the figurehead off the skiff. As the vessel crumbled into scrap, he turned and ascended the steps back into the fortress.

_Moments Later:_

Right walked back into the sphere chamber and saw the sphere was broken on its pedestal. Hardly surprising – his brother wasn't the type to waste time. Though that haste could in fact waste time, Right thought with some amusement. A gasp of pain pulled his attention to the floor.

For a moment he stood stunned. He couldn't believe he failed to notice Left lying on the floor, arm raised. No, actually he could – even now it was hard to believe what he was seeing.

The Shadowkhan rushed to his fallen brother, kneeling, taking in the bloodied mask and then the shadow burning into the arm. He reached for his sword, only for Left's free hand to grab his tunic.

"Back, back to the body, now!" Left whispered. Right hesitated, then nodded. The wizard's pathetic wards died with him; placing a hand on his brother's chest, he pulled them all into the shadows.

_Jade Sea:_

A great deal of debris was floating on the clouds, now shot with rivulets of inky water flowing among them. A barrel broke the surface with a bob, a man clinging to it.

Spitting out cloud fluff, he grinned as he pulled off his drenched hat to wring it one handed.

"HA, HA, HAAA! It takes more than a spiraling maelstrom of death to get rid of Hero! You hear that, I am-" Hero cheered, raising his hat-clutching fist to the damaged sky.

"Wet! I hate being wet! It's not dry! Bring me a towel!" Prissiness demanded, treading water next to him.

"What about me, I saved you, let me out!" the Aspect trapped in the pickled yam barrel begged.

"No! Things are complicated enough; we don't need lovey-dopey stuff in the mix too! Besides, the barrel did all the work, thank you barrel. Now shut it you two, you're ruining my dramatic moment!" Hero shouted.

A fishing net dropped over the two survivors and the barrel.

"Indeed, spoiling his moments is my thing," the Queen remarked, looking down on them. She was resting her chin on her hands as she leaned over the railing of the _Jade_.

"Censorship beep," Hero cursed.

_Windsor Manor:_

Ratso dropped his newspaper when the door slammed open. Right stumbled, having kicked the door nearly off its hinges, with Left draped over his shoulders. As the Shadowkhan approached the bed, Blankman stepped back away from Jade while the Enforcers exchanged looks.

Something was going to happen or was already happening – it was obvious, even to an idiot; it was in the air.

Left forced his way down to brace himself with his good arm, the other coated with some kind of black slime. He held it over Jade's still form and unclenched his coated fist with visible effort.

The stuff sloshed off his arm like Jell-O to hit her and stick in a glob over her torso and head. Before stunned eyes, it soaked into her like water into the thirstiest sponge ever.

As the last traces of black disappeared, she began to change. Her hair lost its spiky buoyancy and grew by centimeters to pool limply around her head. The flesh on her hands and face tightened, giving her a near emaciated look, her scar loosing its straight line to a curve. Ratso curiously looked back to her hands, and sure enough the fingernails lengthened to points.

Her eyes seemed to open, but they didn't. Her eyelids faded into near translucence as they watched, leaving her red eye shine free to show itself through a veil of flesh.

Blankman returned, no one having noticed his departure, with an IV stand holding a dark purple liquid in its bag. Looking to Right for a nod he received, the wizard rolled back one of her sleeves to expose the somewhat withered arm. With practiced ease, he pierced her with the IV needle and secured it with tape, beginning the drip of potion.

Left watched this, still bracing himself against the bed. Looking at Jade's face, he scowled. The bodyguard grabbed the frayed cloth along his shoulders and tore another chunk free. With his good hand, he gently set the black cloth across the exposed eyes before falling back.

Right caught him before he hit the ground, and glared at the humans, as if witnessing it was a crime.

"Now we wait," Blankman announced as he checked Jade's pulse.

_San Francisco:_

Night had fallen in the city; the drainage canal was deserted. Weeds rose from cracks to rustle in the wind, and a stray cat stalked for vermin, it twisted tail twitching.

The feral feline raised its head as a too hot wind blew over it. It bore solitary witness as a red heat wave formed and expanded in the air above it. Ears pulled back, it hissed at the sight. The wave burst into flame; the cat cringed and took flight, hiding behind a pile of discarded trash bags.

A hole appeared in the fireball and began to expand, pushing the flames outward. At last the fire formed a ring in the air, and a red hourglass flared into sight in its center.

The hourglass shattered like a picture painted on a window, and a burning form careened through.

It struck the ground kneeling, and with a boom, the ring of fire burst and swiftly extinguished, its only remains smoke in the wind. The flames cloaking the arrival guttered out, leaving him squatting in the dark.

The cat watched this new arrival suspiciously as it pulled itself up to its full height. A tail swung behind, and a horned head was outlined by the moon as he cracked his neck.

"Ah, the good old days! Well not so good anymore, I hope. I'd love to see how they did it back in the day, but I've got a 'little' problem to nip in the bud," the deep voiced arrival chuckled. His eyes opened, revealing blood red pupils.

* * *

**Author's Note 2:**

_It's done; I can't believe I got this chapter done! Even more than the finale, this was the chapter I was most worried about messing up! As you might have guessed, this is a critical juncture – it effectively splits the story in two. The first part being in reaction to Jade becoming the Queen again, the next part will be the characters having to deal with what happened in this chapter._

_The story will be getting darker as you might guess from this. I would say this is the darkest chapter though, with the torture stuff. As Hero's bits in this chapter should indicate, I am still making this funny and just because it gets darker doesn't mean I will be abandoning a winning formula. Though it will be tweaked, as you will see as time passes._

_Anyway, this is my present to you, my readers on my birthday, the 11th of March. It helps that about 85% of this chapter was written back in December-January. So I am afraid this is not going to be a new norm for updating, it's but a pleasant anomaly._

**Next Chapter**: Continuity Dispute: or _Crouching Dragon, Hidden Badass_


	14. Timely Encounters

Disclaimer: I do not own J.C.A. If I did, it would likely have been taken off the air sooner due to poor business skills on my part. I also don't own Star Wars, ReBoot, or any other shout outs I did in this chapter. Hope that cover the legal front.

_Betaed by: _Nocturne no Kitsune and Zim'sMostLoyalServant

* * *

**PDJ Presents:**

"Queen of All Oni"

CHAPTER XI

**Timely Encounters**

OR

The Perilous Nature of Withdrawals

The girl was curled up beneath her thick dark blankets, her long hair spreading freely across them and hiding her face. The candlelight caught in the perfect strands, a sight beautiful in its simplicity, the watching man thought. The bedroom's furniture and the heavy-laden shelves were cast in shadow by the candle he held. Hot wax ran down its length as he silently crossed the room, his sandaled feet barely disturbing the dark rugs.

He did not seem to notice the hot wax reach his hand and run over blue knuckles. He stood at her bedside watching her, the rise and fall of her breathing, her faint shape, her hair let down at this time as no other.

He only lifted his gaze at the audible shift behind him.

"It is time, chunin," the new arrival spoke softly. The watcher answered with a nod that gave him a final look at her.

The child stirred, and a glowing red eye shone through the veil of hair to take in the empty room. Finding nothing, the eye closed as she drifted back into sleep.

_Nearby:_

The watcher stepped into a long chamber lined with wooden columns decorated with swirling patterns that seemed to dance in the candlelight. The walls to either side of him were lined with bright candles, which failed to light the chamber but set the shadows dancing across the floor and between the columns and giving the high ceiling a look akin to night water.

A raised platform stood at the far end, removed from the illumination of the candle rows and flanked by two iron candle stands that did nothing but outline the robed figure sitting there. Faint twin points of dark red glowed on the figure's unseen face as it shifted, leaning on an ornamental armrest.

Eight paces before the waiting figure the watcher stopped, lowering himself to kneel in the center of four concentric circles drawn on the floor, each containing a strange assortment of symbols. The red spots on the figure brightened and sharpened as she opened her eyes, watching him.

"Chunin Karasu," a deep voice spoke. A man alighted on the floor between the shrouded figure and the kneeling man. He wore a black hakama trimmed with gold; the red kanji painted onto it were obscured by the shadows. Two sword hilts showed over his shoulders as he lowered his gaze to inspect the one before him.

Karasu lifted his face to the speaker. His jaw was broad, the face not lined from smiles or scowls; this was not someone given to such expressions. His nose was slightly hooked and his shoulder length hair was pulled back into a wolf tail displaying a mild widow's peak. Most noteworthy were the tiny scars of lighter blue that dotted his chiseled features.

"Jonin, Matriarch, you have called and I, Karasu, have come," the unmasked Shadowkhan said to them.

"You understand your mission?" the Jonin demanded curtly.

"Pursue the traitor Drago into the past, neutralize his threat, and above all protect the Advent of the Fourth Era of the Shadowkhan. You are the hands, I am the blade, use me for the glory of our race," Karasu answered solemnly.

The Jonin turned to look to the Matriarch. The maned silhouette of her head shifted, indicating a nod. The Jonin stepped forward, offering a glowing vial of green light to Karasu. The chuunin took it delicately and tucked it into a pouch on his belt.

"Ancestors guide you, Shadowkhan," the Jonin answered, stepping back and out of the circles. Metal clacked on wood and a fire whooshed to life. Turning, the Jonin picked up a large silver chalice from the edge of the Matriarch's platform as the figure herself retreated, long and wild hair briefly catching the green firelight rising from the chalice.

Iron drums were set down with a clang, four of them along the edge of the outmost circle. The Shadowkhan that had placed them were half masked, showing only their hair and upper faces. They rose from adjusting the drums' positions, pulling out old-fashioned thick wooden drumsticks.

"Begin," the Matriarch commanded, her voice beautiful and deep with a raspy echo. The Jonin held the cup of green fire aloft, silver smoke rising from it, glittering in the candlelight. As one, the drummers struck, a deep grave note filling the chamber. Half the outermost runes began to glow with orange light, and the Jonin took a single step.

With the next beat, he took another step and the plume of glittering smoke drifted into the circle.

And so it went, a step for each beat of the drums as the outer circle came alive. The Shadowkhan kneeling in the center was nearly obscured by the smoke as the Jonin finished his first circle, then the beats sped up.

Soon the drums sounded their thunderous beat like a storm, the Jonin running each footfall in rhythm around the circle, smoke trailing from the goblet he held into the rising sphere of mist, colored by the angry glow of the runes below. Passing the Matriarch again, she shifted amidst her shadows and a clear note of wind music sounded.

The melody was high and sharp, a swift bird daring the storm fearlessly. It brought flashes of lightning to accompany the thunder of drums and footfalls.

The sparking dome of orange and green swirled, pulsing with light in tune to the thunder. A high long note cut off, the drummers stayed their hands, lifting sweating brows, and the Jonin halted and twisted, throwing the goblet into the sphere.

A crack filled the room, and a rush of air sent the Shadowkhan flying back, their drums tumbling. Only the enthroned Matriarch remained unperturbed, looking at the now unmarked spot on her hall's floor. Of the dome, circles, and Shadowkhan, there was no sign, only the twisted blackened ruin of the goblet. Sharp white teeth were bared, catching the flickering candlelight.

"Now, Drago, let us see how a demon's treachery stands against a Shadowkhan's loyalty," she hissed as her vassals picked themselves up.

_San Francisco, After Drago's Arrival:_

Over the drainage canal a light ignited; it hovered in the air like a green will'o wisp. A stray cat hissed at it angrily, quite tired of strange occurrences. With a boom that echoed down the concrete lined ditch, the green expanded into a large disk. Four circles of blazing orange appeared on the disk, a symbol in its center most circle erasing itself.

As the last line of orange writing vanished, the circles and disk shattered like glass, clattering to the ground and shattering further as a figure in back dropped to the ground, crouching.

Red eyes scanned the surroundings and sniffed the air as the shards of his arrival vaporized into blue smoke.

Hand resting on a cord wrapped along his left forearm, the figure rose to his feet. He watched the cat, confirming it as the only seeming witness. The cat hissed at him before running off.

With a deep breath, he ran a hand through his close cut dark hair. The breath induced the near gagging sensation he had hoped for.

Drago's trail. For once, the most honored Matriarch's traveling spells had sent a Shadowkhan exactly where he was meant to be, without complications. Which he found too hard to believe; best get moving before whatever was wrong with this spot kicked in. The bull had been, while not the worst, certainly the most memorable instance of teleporting gone wrong for him.

No time to linger anyway, this was not just a normal duty that he could never fail at. This was a duty to everything that mattered in his inconsequential existence. Despite his reservation as he sprinted into the dark on Drago's trail, he found himself praying.

_Section 13:_

Dragowas having trouble enjoying his easy success. Sure, winning was the best, but…"Man, security here was weak back in the day! I mean really, the air vent cliché working was bad enough, but this?" Drago grumbled.

He held a groaning agent in his clawed hand by the collar of his shirt. The man's nose was broken, with the twin black eyes starting to dropped him to the floor with the other unconscious S-13 agents. No, these red shirts didn't deserve to be lumped in with the agents of his time; this was lame ole _Section_ 13. Apparently the Chans really had carried it all on their backs in the old days.

Drago smiled, showing off his teeth as he walked up to the vault door. He ran a finger over it; really, steel felt the same regardless of its thickness. But still he had some idea how thick it was supposed to be, and he could feel the magic protecting it.

"But it's not meant to keep out the likes of me. The world's there for the taking, and only three obstacles in the way! Conquer yesterday to be on top today," Drago declared.  
_  
_Spreading his jaws, the son of Shendu breathed a stream of fire on the vault door.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

"No,"Uncle stated, carrying a clay wolf statue in both hands to his desk. Viper followed behind him, frowning as he placed the artifact on the surface and pulled out a magnifying glass.

_"_What do you mean, 'no'?" Viper demanded.

"Aiyah! No, as in 'Uncle will not even listen to your verrrry foolish request'!" the old wizard yelled, before sitting and leaning back into his inspection. Tohru looked up from his own worktable, covered with books and papers adorned with strange kanji. Ink stained hands declared much of it to be his own work, along with the sumi-e set close at hand.

Tohru sighed. The onion-smelling thief brought new dynamics to their teamwork, along with filling in much of a Jade-shaped hole. Amongst those was her frequent butting of heads with Uncle. She was neither a child, a relation, nor a student, and as such felt less inclined to accommodate the man's stubbornness. And sometimes Tohru just thought she enjoyed the this time it was a very real argument, and he was left wondering how it would turn out.

"You owe me this! This is hazard pay, purple heart material," Viper insisted."You are volunteer, no pay and no frivolous benefits. Such things are for forces of darkness!" Uncle proclaimed_._

"Wow, you really give progressive views on labor. Now look at this, though I know you love your antiques," Viper humphed. Pulling some of her hair aside she revealed a patch of bare skin on her scalp that had been hidden from sight.  
_  
_"If you can hide it so well, Uncle sees no problem," Uncle waved it off, turning back to his statue. Viper smacked a hand on the desk, making Uncle grab the antique protectively in his arms.

"It's not growing back, even with the horse! You're a man, so you may not realize I am too young and too pretty to have a bald spot. Period," Viper explained, glaring.

"Vanity; thief should chalk baldness up to bad karma from life of crime. Shave head and Uncle may stop calling you thief," Uncle shot back.

"I can see why you're everyone's Uncle and not a grandfather. Such a way with women," Viper snarked. Tohru coughed, and they both looked at him, one with a glare, the other with misplaced irritation. Tohru drained cup of tea and coughed again, trying to look innocent.

They returned to glaring at each other as Tohru picked up a sheet covered in characters in a spiral pattern.

"Thief, there is no hair grow back potion!" uncle yelled, raising his arms.

"No way! You have magic that can bind ancient evil, travel though time, bring an action figure to life, reverse aging, and separate someone into good and evil twins, and no on has ever made a way to grow back hair? No wizard has ever been bald and not liked it?" Viper demanded."…" Uncle looked at her evenly. Viper let out a long breath, and smacked her forehead onto the desktop lightly."I could look into it," Tohru spoke up. Viper snapped back up and smiled at him_._

"Now that's a real man's attitude. Thank you, Tohru, and maybe you should take notes from your student," Viper remarked, smiling at Tohru and casting a look at Uncle.

As the thief left with a much lighter step than she arrived, Uncle glared at Tohru, who just shrugged with a nervous smile. Then the phone rang.

_Section 13:_

"Yes, a wall of red fire between us and the Vault. A dragon man. No glowing red eyes, size? Human-ish, but with a tail," Captain Black called into his phone while his men sprayed fire retardant foam and jelly onto the red blaze, to no effect.

"What? A dragon-man, demon-thing, threw down a vial and it erupted. No, he didn't give his name.

"No, it's not spreading! But nothing puts it out! What? It's fire, it looks like fire!" Captain Black yelled into his phone.

_Nearby:_

Drago let up his flames and watched as the last layer of the vault door melted away. He didn't want to risk damaging the Talismans, or the masks. Demon fire might actually do the job, and he wanted that power and those Generals right where they were.

He glanced back at the bottled hellfire keeping Captain Black at bay. As he thought, this pathetic era had no ready means to even begin dealing with such tricks. Still, he only had two vials left…

No matter – unlike in his present day, there were eleven Talismans ripe for the taking. Only humans could be so foolish as to possess such consequence-less power and not use it.

"Who dares? !" a voice roared. A very familiar one.

"Oh yeah, you're still hanging around," Drago sighed. Stepping into the Vault, his eyes played over the Talisman container. The good magic was already coiling along the cylinder, agitated into power greater than on the door. He was prepared for it.

"Drago? Has the son come to the aid of the father?" Shendu asked as Drago stepped into sight.

"Me? Help you? Have you gone senile, you old gecko? I ought to come over there and chip off your horns!" Drago yelled.

"Worthless ingrate! I am your father, all you are comes from me!" Shendu yelled back, his eyes flaring.

"You're the bastard who left me sealed in that sword by Lo Pei! You actually got the sword from him, and just chucked it over the Himalayas!" Drago shouted, pointing an accusing finger.

"I thought a few centuries sealed would build some character in you, weakling," Shendu said. Drago had a feeling that, if he could, the old dragon would have shrugged his shoulders while saying it.

"Well, it made me realize how much I hate your ass, so I guess it worked," Drago grinned.

"Enough! Give me the Talismans; free me! Or when I am freed you will suffer like no other, my treacherous spawn!" Shendu threatened, his red eyes flaring bright.

"When you're free? Oh, right, you wouldn't know yet. Jade already destroyed the Dog talisman, so you being freed… well, it's not going to happen, pops," Drago grinned.

"WHAAA-! *BOOM*" Shendu roared, before the blast door crashed down over his alcove. Drago pulled his hand back from the big red panic button, smiling.

"Boring conversation anyway. Now, Talismans come to poppa!" Drago laughed, pulling out a small cutting torch.

_Outside the Vault:_

Captain Black stood next to Agent Wisker and the two-dozen Section 13 agents that had gathered outside the corridor leading to the Vault. Said corridor was currently filled with flames of a red-orange hue, which were mystically not spreading beyond the area they currently engulfed, or being affected by the facility's fire suppression system.

"Try and look on the bright side, sir," Agent Wisker commented, "At least we know the hostile doesn't have access to all the Talismans, so we don't have to worry about him letting Shendu out."

"No, we just have to worry about him taking the rest of the Talismans himself," Black groaned, rubbing his forehead, "You know, it's time like this I miss Interpol – no demons, no magic, just good old fashioned criminals."

"Well, the old man should be here soon, sir. And once the flames are down, the target will be cornered, so it should be easy enough to neutralize him."

Black was about to comment on his subordinate's optimism, when something suddenly shot through the air between them, falling into the flames and hitting the ground with the sound of breaking glass. This was followed by a flash of dark energy, as the flames parted to the side, forming an opening to the Vault.

Before any of the assembled agents could comprehend what had just happened, a figure dressed in black dashed between Black and Wisker, nearly knocking them aside, before darting between the other agents and through the passage in the fire, which quickly closed behind him.

"…What just happened?" Black asked, stunned.

_Meanwhile:_

Drago grinned wickedly as the cutting torch did its job – the glass was magically reinforced, but that hardly did anything against such a mundane tool. And he was more than ready to deal with the actual magic once he got to it.

"Too easy," he said, before noticing something reflected in the glass. Before he could realize what he was seeing, there was a loud *CRACK* as a length of dark leather suddenly wrapped around the torch, biting into his hand before pulling it free and bringing it smashing to the ground.

Hissing in anger and pain, Drago clutched his hand as he spun around. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the black-clothed figure standing outside the Vault.

Though he wore the traditional Shadowkhan clothes, his blue face was uncovered. His face was angular, a pointed chin and nose with narrow cheeks calling a bird to mind. The effect was enhanced by thin sideburns framing his face, and a widow's peak made prominent by a near buzz cut of dark hair.

_"_Karasu!" Drago roared. He watched the Shadowkhan walk through the ruined vault door, pulling the whip back and at ready. Drago growled, starting to pace the room, keeping the Talismans between them as they fell into the classic circling.

"You don't seem surprised to see me, oath-breaker," Karasu stated, glimpsing the red eyes of the hybrid through the Talisman display. He stepped over the ruined cutting torch as Drago laughed.

"Like Jade would let me run rampant in the past. I stole a good bit of my spell from her scrolls; I knew she would have some kind of time magic handy. If for no other reason than to keep it from being used against her.

"So I knew someone would try and rain on my parade. But you? Here I feared Lee, or maybe even Jade herself, and they send the babysitter! Is she that unhappy with her life that she wants me to thrash it up?" Drago laughed.

"You mock the Matriarch… have you no shame?

"Lo Pei sealed you in the Blade. You were still an inexperienced youth when Verde freed you from it only to make you a slave. When the Shadowkhan claimed the sword everyone expected her to return you to the seal.

"But she spared you that. Gave you a chance to rise above your heritage. You were her vassal, a valued student. And you repay it with this treachery?" Karasu demanded, glaring through the case.

"What can I say, I saw my future as a lackey and didn't like it. She wouldn't settle for being someone's stooge, and I learned most everything from her and the old gecko. If anyone's to blame, it's her for not seeing this coming.

"And why are we talking about this? You know my story, and I lived it. What's with the recap, rugrat herder?" Drago demanded, stopping in place. Karasu halted across from him, tilting his head as if thinking.

"Oh, I'm just stalling for time. You are stronger than me in a straight-up fight, but once the Chans break in here, your chances of success drop close to zero.

"All I need to win, traitor, is for you to lose," Karasu's lip twitched in what might gave been a smile.

Drago glanced to the shadows cast in the hall by the hellfire. Was it wavering? How much time had he wasted? Too much.

Without another word, he lunged around the case, fire breath already building.

_Outside Section 13:_

"Jackie, what kept you! ? Dragon man is trying to steal Talismans, and is in there with Shendu!" Uncle yelled as Jackie ran up to the phone booth. For all his impatience, it was clear the three from the shop had only just arrived.

"I was across town! Where do these dark forces keep coming from?" Jackie moaned. Uncle smacked him over the head as he, Jackie, and Viper – disguised with a shoulder length blonde wig and sunglasses – crammed into the elevator.

"Daolon Wong's death has created a vacuum in the ranks of Dark Forces. Even disenchanted, the Darkest Mage is relevant. As with Shendu's death at Jade's hand, evil is rushing to fill the void.

"Uncle thought Jade was already doing so, and might get worse, but the Dark Forces must be trying _verrry_ hard," Uncle explained grimly.

"You mean it gets worse than an evil Jade with Shadowkhan?" Jackie moaned, trying to face palm but elbowing Viper's shoulder in the process.

"Hey," Viper protested.

"Jackie, do not molest thief, you set a poor example," Uncle cried.

"That was not even…" Jackie protested before cutting himself off and sighing. He was already getting a headache.

"The girl's blue and bad already, a bit late for him to set a 'bad' example, don't you think old-timer?" Viper asked with a mischievous grin. She realized she was in no position to dodge just before his smack set her wig askew with a crack.

"Oh, if that's how you want it…" Viper chuckled menacingly.

*SMACK*

"Waaah!" Jackie cried in pain and surprise.

"Sorry Jackie, backswing," Viper muttered nervously.

_The Vault:_

The dragon unleashed the fireball, which cut through open air to strike Shendu's door. A whip cracked and Drago cringed. His leather jacket was ripped across the back and a thin trail of blood flowed down its center.

Karasu pulled his whip back, backpedaling as Drago growled, following him.

"Backstabbing ninja!" Drago roared, leaping forward with speed born of superior strength. The ninja faded to the left, swiping claws grazing his shoulder, tearing into cloth.

And flesh. Drago smiled, looking at the drops of blood on his claws. Opening his jaws, he spat another fireball at the Shadowkhan, whose back was to the wall.

Karasu's whip radiated black and coiled into a circular shield in the ninja's hands. The fireball burst against it, and as the flames danced, it unwound to reveal Karasu unharmed.

Drago was already in his face, pulling back a punch. Karasu's empty fist shot forward, coming under Drago's jaw to hit his throat.

"Gah!" Drago croaked, but grinned, his own fist shooting forward anyway. Steel buckled as the scaled fist impacted the spot Karasu had been. The ninja slipped between his opponent's legs only for his head to be stopped as a tail wrapped around his neck as he came back up.

"That trick doesn't work on those of us with tails. Jade must be getting worse, or I'm getting better. Then again-!" Drago was cut off as the whip cracked, catching one of his feet. Twisting his whole body, Karasu pulled Drago off his feet.

The tail came loose enough for his free hand to pry it off. They were both on their feet, staring each other down in crouches. The blue man was scowling, while the dragon man bared his teeth, smoke rising between them.

"You can't beat me Karasu, I know all your ninja tricks from the spars," Drago pointed at the Shadowkhan.

"I know just as much about how you fight, oath-breaker," Karasu answered with banked anger.

"Well that never let you win before, it won't now," Drago smirked. Karasu's lip twitched, bringing the dragon up short. The Shadowkhan held a hand to his ear. Watching him suspiciously, Drago cocked his own head, he didn't…

Hear the sound of a nearby inferno.

"Victory does not require that I win, only that you lose," Karasu stated.

"YOU!" Drago roared, before a green ray struck him in the shoulder, sending him stumbling back.

Karasu glanced to the figures appearing in the lone doorway. A blur of white made him look down. His right arm shot up before the sutra scroll billowing around him tightened about his body, binding all other limbs.

Drago looked up at Tohru, Uncle and Viper filling the doorway, and Jackie Chan already looking the pair of them over with surprise.

"Later, babysitter," Drago grinned, reaching into his jacket. Glass shattered out of sight as the wizards fired off their chi blasts. The green beams struck a column of hellfire stretching up into the ceiling and then lifting up off the floor. It rose out of sight through the ceiling, not even leaving singe marks.

"What is going on here?" Jackie demanded, looking at the spot the dragon man had disappeared from.

"Drago, the son of Shendu, wants to cut your niece's future short, Jackie Chan. I'm here to see to it he fails. So what are you going to do?" Karasu drew attention to himself as he knelt down on the vault floor, watching the humans filling up the room.

"Tohru-san, you look different without your scars," Karasu remarked as he was marched down the corridor, his free arm held behind his back by the sumo. Captain Black and the others also escorted him, Agent Wisker frowning as he glanced back over his shoulder at the ninja.

"We are not buying the time travel story that easily," Viper commented. The Shadowkhan glanced at her; his lips almost drew back, but he seemed to think better of it.

"Taicho, think about this. What would I have to gain by lying? If not for me, you would be dealing with a demon dragon powered by eleven-too many Talismans," Karasu asked Captain Black.

"A battle between monsters doesn't require a right side. And even if you _are_ from the future, it doesn't look to be a good one," Captain Black remarked, one hand on his side arm.

"Rather depends on where you stand, I suppose. But Drago is an enemy to all sides, then and now. You should be focusing on him; I only work to preserve the future as it is," Karasu insisted.

"Shadowkhan goals are not our goals!" Uncle smacked the blue man over the head.

"Well, in that case – when you meet Drago, use better sutras," Karasu said as they reached the open holding cell door. The paper fell down around his legs and the freed hand sprang up to hit Tohru on the throat. Tohru gasped and stumbled back. A fish and two guns came up, only to hesitate as he ninja slipped behind Tohru's back.

Viper came around him, onion in hand, just as Tohru's shadow stopped rippling.

"Well, now I can believe he works for Jade," Viper remarked.

"We _really_ should make knocking them out standard procedure," Wisker added.

_Bank of California, San Francisco Branch:_

Blankman flipped through the documents as he stepped out of the stock office. These returns had been simply unacceptable. The agent had sold stocks at a loss, and bought from companies on his supposed "classified" short list, and charged for the services. He truly detested those who felt entitled to demand payment for failure.

Success was to be rewarded, failure at best tolerated and at worst punished. The world would be a better place if his fellow financial men had the Sword of Damocles dangling over their heads. Nothing like vital threats weighed against rich rewards to separate the wheat from the chafe and bring out the best of their potential.

Blankman was contemplating how best to get back at the disgraceful little man for his slight to proper financial management conduct, and just registered the warm tingling in his trouser pocket before the double doors dominating the lobby exploded in.

Drago gave his best, "panic inducer" roar as he walked into the bank. He frowned at the humans looking at him stunned instead of running. Rearing back his head, he released another fire blast, striking the ceiling. _That_ got the running and screaming he was going for.

He had no interest in actually robbing this place, but he needed to draw attention.

Tohru didn't have any scars, which meant Jade didn't have the second tablet yet. Which meant she wasn't in so strong a position that she would turn down an alliance. He could still make this work without the Talismans. Get rid of the babysitter, get close enough to Jade to end her, maybe even take the Shadow Hand himself!

But first he needed to find her. Which was not going to happen, so better to get her attention and let her find him.

So now, where do they keep the money? After all, he might as well line his pockets while he's at it.

The son of Shendu paid the fleeing humans no mind. He wasn't as dismissive as the old gecko would be; his experiences wouldn't allow it. But this was all just a stunt for grabbing attention, no need to bother with the insignificant.

As such, it was only with nearly noticed idleness he noted that the last of the humans had fled from the fire he had started and the perceived terrorist attack/robbery. Then the surveillance cameras around the room, and beyond, began to explode in a shower of sparks and the sprinklers clicked off.

Drago stopped running his hand over the bank vault door to look around. He was experiencing puzzlement that bordered on alarm.

"Demon filth, who are you to intrude on this place of business?" a bland monotone of a voice demanded. Frowning, Drago turned to see a pudgy balding man in a grey sports jacket standing across the room behind a desk. Drago narrowed his eyes at the man and sniffed the air.

His eyes widened for a moment, before narrowing to slits.

"You," Drago hissed.

"Me?" Blankman asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Oh yeah, I guess this could happen. But you're no Ten now, just another hack wizard too big for your pants!" Drago laughed.

"Britches," Blankman remarked.

"Huh?" Drago broke off his laugh.

"The saying is 'too big for your britches'. I know you are demonic vermin, but can you at last respect proper language and grammar?" Blankman asked with a tone that suggested he doubted Drago could.

"Oh, no doubt! Only two people can piss me off this quickly. Well, three actually, and a couple come in under… Never mind! I was just looking to get into Jade's number two slot, but nipping you in the bud is one fantastic bonus. First you go down, then she gets my claws in the back at the golden opportunity," Drago cheered, crackling his knuckles.

Blankman cocked an eyebrow again. Without crouching, he leapt over the desk, landing in a relaxed position, looking as if he hadn't just performed such a feat.

"Those goals are rather unacceptable. As violent disagreement seems inevitable, are you going to answer my question?" Blankman queried. Drago frowned, but lowered himself into a stance.

"Drago, son of Shendu, and the last name you're ever going to hear," Drago smirked. With a roar, he charged the wizard, claws raised. Blankman reached both hands under his sports coat, and ripped them back out with a sound of tearing cloth. Sheets of paper burst from under his jacket.

"Seal of the first spiral, 32nd cant, essence of iron," Blankman declared sedately. Sheets of paper glowed with runes as they adhered across his body. Drago bore down with an overhead strike, only for both arms to be diverted away from Blankman's head as fists struck the inside of his wrists. The man was gone then, and pain exploded in Drago's left shin as a metal foot seemed to whip into it.

"Coup de pied bas," Blankman said.

"What? !" Drago demanded, stopping himself from pitching forward.

"Fouetté," Blankman answered, his shoe whipping into Drago's back, sending the demon flying into the desk.

"If you don't fear my magic, son of Shendu, perhaps you should be wary of my savate de rue," Blankman commented.

Drago pushed himself up from the desk and glared at the accountant. His joints and forehead were covered with rune-adorned paper, along with his hands and shoes.

"I've dealt with martial artists," Drago spat. Blankman's mouth twitched at that comment and perhaps his eyes narrowed too for a moment.

"True Savateurs are no hypocritical philosophers, young demon. There is no enlightenment or higher justification for these skills. Making yourself your best weapon is all the reason wanted or needed," Blankman retorted calmly.

Drago took a deep breath and breathed a steam of fire at Blankman. The savateur sidestepped the flame, only for Drago to pivot on his feet. Paper flew off the man into the path of the flames. The dragon fire made them burst in sparks, runes flaring a final time.

"Even magic paper is still paper, lousy human," Drago laughed. The stream cut off and the tall shield of paper crumbled, revealing nothing behind it. Blankman slapped Drago's back, leaving a king of clubs stuck there.

"Seal of the Fifth Spiral, 53rd Cant, Demonic Suppression," Blankman said. A blazing white rune ignited as the playing card picture peeled away. Drago screamed as electricity played over him. Blankman punched him in the neck with a jab, sending him to his knees.

Drago threw out his own punch; a grey-sleeved arm closed around it and twisted. A pop was covered by Drago's yells, as the arm was forced out of joint.

"Demons, Fey, the Little People, and all the rest; you never change your tunes. Humans are either your marks, your food, or patronized little children. You act as if you are so high and we are so low.

"A truly foolish attitude. Despite the power at your command, who was it that won in the end? Which race established dominion over this world and molded it to their purpose? And which races were pushed to the periphery and beyond, left to only covet the world they lost and the days they were relevant?

"Humans are the superior race, it's been proven by the outcome. Victory so absolute that too many of them, the lot of you, are just a story to pass the time.

"And yet still you act as if you are entitled to meddle with the works of humanity with your delinquency," Blankman scowled, knocking Drago to the floor with a roundhouse kick to the back.

The card bust into flame as Drago rose, panting for breath. Hands grabbed the horns on his head and jerked it to the right; he strained against it and roared, grabbing at paper-coated arms.

"What are you doing?" Drago demanded.

"Research – does snapping a hybrid's neck kill it, or merely paralyze?" Blankman answered.

Drago tried to twist around on his attacker, but Blankman just moved along, his grip remaining tight.

"Idiot, no human is strong enough…" Drago spat, before his head began to ease in the direction of the twist despite his muscles' straining.

"No you DON'T!" Drago roared. The dragon crouched swiftly, pulling Blankman off his feet onto his back. With a wordless bellow, Drago leapt straight up, colliding with the ceiling, Blankman taking the impact.

They hit the floor, Blankman still holding on, but loosened. Reaching back, Drago grabbed his arms and threw the man up and over him.

The paper wizard flew but twisted in the air, landing in a crouch, sport jacket flapping around him as he skidded backwards across the floor. The hybrid spat a spark to the side and popped his arm back into place with a grunt.

Drago sneered and smacked a purple jewel ring on his right hand. Purple mist filled that hand and spread to his waiting other hand. With a blow from Drago the mist dispersed, revealing a nasty looking warhammer.

"Hmm, that was Wong's," Blankman remarked, standing up.

"The Hammer of Chui has a new master. And now, it's hammer time!" Drago roared, raising the hammer to charge at the wizard. Bearing his fangs, he swung the hammer down at the wizard's head. It passed through, and into the torso to hit nothing.

With a crunch, the hammerhead crashed into the tile floor, burying itself between the nice brown shoes. Blankman flickered and vanished, revealing Blankman standing two paces behind the illusion, holding a glowing playing card.

"Oh fu-" Drago muttered, before a foot collided with his mouth and a fist slammed into his kidneys. Letting go of the hammer reflexively, Drago tried to back away. His eyes widened when a knee shot up between his legs. He grinned as the wizard cocked an eyebrow at his lack of reaction.

"I'm a reptile, genius, my assets don't just hang around like a dumb mammal," Drago laughed, spitting a fireball and forcing the wizard to dodge and backpedal.

"So that's why dragon balls are such a premium. So hard to find them," Blankman noted with a thoughtful frown. Reaching down with one hand, he pulled the Hammer of Chui out of the floor and smacked its upper handle into his other palm, regarding Drago.

"Shendu had only one son, and he is sealed in the Sword of Lo Pei. Furthermore, this hammer should not be accessible. And finally, you know me when nobody should. You come from the future, which means… you knoweth too much," Blankman stated, narrowing his eyes. Drago looked at the hammer that had ended up in his enemy's hand, but still managed to meet his eyes with a smile.

"Wouldn't you like to know how much I know?" Drago taunted.

"Dragon scales are supposed to be like steel. A smith can make steel sing with a hammer. How many strokes until you sing for me?" Blankman asked with that same flat tone.

"Just try it," Drago spat. Blankman nodded, and with the hammer raised, advanced at a brisk but controlled clip. Drago did not wait for him, coming forward with his face set in concentration.

Blankman frowned, but struck out with the hammer, taking the last three steps long and swift into Drago's guard. Drago twisted away from it, a corner of the hammer nicking his side and sending him near off balance as something cracked.

Both fighters moved with the motions, coming around again. Drago's hand latched onto the handle of the hammer right under the head, stopping it before it crashed into his face. Blankman stepped in, driving the iron handle into Drago's side with all the force he could muster.

The demon hybrid grunted in irritation and grabbed the handle with his other hand. For a moment, they stood there struggling, the hammer barely moving between them.

Both combatants acted in tandem and ignorance. Blankman's left foot hooked around Drago's right and struck its ankle. At the same time, Drago's ring flashed, and the hammer dissolved into smoke. Drago stumbled with a curse while Blankman nearly fell onto his back at the loss of handholds.

A clawed hand covered in green scales shot through the purple smoke. Cloth ripped as Drago raked his claws across Blankman's unpapered chest, shredding the white shirt and light red tie.

Blankman gasped, backpedaling away from the demon. Scowling, the balding man pressed a hand to his chest; it came away red and wet as his shirt changed color.

"You are becoming an annoyance," he stated, a hint of heat creeping into his voice.

Drago licked blood from his index claw with a long tongue. He stopped to smile at Blankman.

"Oh, it gets worse," Drago said. Opening his mouth, Drago revealed fire already sprouting from his throat.

"No, it does not," Blankman answered, pulling a joker from his sleeve with a blood-smeared hand. Drago let the flames fly and cut if off quickly to counter whatever the wizard was cooking. But glancing around, the wizard was nowhere in sight?

"What's with the paper magic, he never used that when I fought him. A joker?" Drago wondered, turning around. He was getting anxious; he had counted on this target being an easy mark at this point, but he was showing skill Drago hadn't seen before.

'You must not have been worth my future-self showing all his cards. Never play your king when the jack is quite enough,' Blankman thought, watching Drago.

His activated Joker was adhering to his chest as he crouched on the ceiling. Reaching into his shirt pocket, he pulled out a tiny bottle, cracked and empty.

'So much for that,' he thought, tucking the potion bottle back in. His hand mirror had been cracked too; he had felt it when Drago hit the ceiling. He would need some time, Blankman decided, silently walking to stand over Drago.

Drago was debating whether or not a retreat might be a good idea when a drop of blood landed on one of his horns. He looked up to see paper filling his vision.

_**Thunk**_

Blankman's leap, corresponding with a restoration of personal gravity, carried his weight via a paper-coated knee. A satisfying set of crunches followed, his own impact and as he drove Drago's skull down to fracture the tiles.

'Less than ideal though,' the wizard frowned, getting up off of the dazed dragon to shake his knee. Even with armor, his knee was tingling during a high stakes encounter he had been adequately prepared for.

It was time for a trip to the men's room, Blankman decided.

Drago was seething as he sat up; his face was throbbing like… well, like what had happened had happened, he thought, putting the pieces together. He grinned though, seeing the gray sports jacket vanish into the bathroom. The one who ran was usually the one who lost.

Blankman clutched his chest as he walked to the nearest mirror. Squaring himself in front of it, he pressed a bloodstained hand to the glass. He watched as the bloody handprint sank into the thirsty glass, revealing his reflection, then a face very much not his own.

"Lucinda, alchemic contingency 2," Blankman instructed. A feminine face seemingly crafted from stained glass of green and gold regarded him with glowing eyes, and then nodded to him before turning away.

Drago knocked the door off its hinges with his hammer and stepped into the bathroom.

"Pissing yourself, stinking wizard?" Drago asked. His eyes widened after he said it and then brought the hammer up to cover his face.

Thunder ripped through his ears before something punched him in the chest, _hard_.

The impact sent Drago skidding and stumbling back out of the room into the lobby. Blankman stepped through the doorway, cocking the shotgun again.

"Magister shells! Those don't exist yet!" Drago yelled, clutching his chest as steam rose from the bloody little holes in it.

"I hate to resort to something so crude, and engraving each enchanted silver ball shot is time consuming, and it doesn't even kill your kind. But, I can just kill you with something else after," Blankman commented, raising the shotgun.

Drago threw the hammer at the man. Blankman sidestepped the projectile and fired; he almost expected a miss as the dragon ran towards the window dominated far wall. But he knew some connected, from the way the demon stumbled. Blankman briskly pursued, pumping the gun again.

Drago leapt up, bursting through the glass, arms shielding his face. He pitched forward as thunder rattled the lobby again. Blankman leapt up to the windowsill, glass crunching under his feet as he chambered another round. A mundane round, but fear of it would help. He saw Drago in the alley below hurl something onto the ground. Glass shattered then fire sprang up, filling the air.

The wizard hopped back into the bank, blinking in surprise at the hellfire filling the window. It was gone in moments, and then he dropped the gun and drew a pair of cards from both sleeves. Thus armed, he leapt back onto the sill, but the alley was empty.

"Hmm," Blankman hummed, looking back into the lobby.

Sirens filled the air as he zipped a plastic bag shut, inside a simple blank business card stained with all the demon blood he had been able to find on the floor. Stashing it in a coat pocket, he picked up his briefcase and placed a queen of hearts on the floor.

"Seal of the second spiral, 27th cant, purifying spring," he stated. The queen peeled away to reveal a shining blue rune. Water burst from it in a spout majestic as Blankman stepped back. He picked the shotgun up off a broken desk and watched as the water erased much of the forensics both mundane and mystic; few people thought to use this spell like that.

The twinges in his chest reminded him he had to be going. Flicking a card into the air, it shredded into glowing confetti and whirled about the bloodied man in the suit, trailing darkened winds in its wake. For a few seconds a small dark whirlwind appeared in the demolished lobby, only to disperse with a crack.

Men with guns and suits entered warily, water bubbling around their feet. The place was deserted; two of them shared a look, wondering what they had missed.

_Elsewhere?:_

Floating in the black, all was dark, no warmth, no cold, nothing stirring. Nothing, nothing but the black.

She could not tell when her eyes were open or closed; everything was fuzzy. Was she floating, falling, or just another piece of the darkness?

How long had she been here?

Had she been somewhere else?

What else? There was supposed to be something else?

Yes, there was something… warmth. Yes, below, on her back, warmth.

Not heat/light/bad. Warmth. Yes, good warmth, sink into warmth. Down, down and away.

Fade, into warmth and dark.

"No," the dark spoke.

She shuddered at the sound shattering her peace. Other, someone else? Outside? Talking, burning?

Deeper, quicker, away, away, away, away…

"No," the voice repeated. Arms beneath, stopping the descent, holding her. She pressed against them, sagging, moaning at the unwelcome contact so solid against her shifting form.

One arm moved, letting a calloused hand cup her small head. They rose, lifting her up and away from the warmth, she may have wept. She couldn't see the one who had denied her warmth, it was too dark.

"Your time is not yet," it spoke. The firm finality angered her enough to form words not even fully understanding their meaning.

"Says you," she whispered. She could feel him look at her, which she decided was very unfair.

"So I say? Yes, I have waited, without expecting it to come. And it still has not. But it may. So long ago, so many mistakes. Roads best left untraveled, walked to the bitter end.

"So no, you have leagues and leagues before you sleep. Forward," it spoke near and distant to her.

"Forward?" she asked, confusion mounting.

"Backward, to go forward. Right first, then left. Down before up. Into darkness, and out into light.

"The past before the future, legend before destiny," he spoke, lifting her up. He only had hands on her now; the arms were stretched up. She did not like this, she was exposed, she could be dropped.

"Stop," she begged.

"No," he repeated. With that word the darkness was gone, without a peal or a flash. As if it had never been, nothing was replaced by something.

_A mountaintop. Lush forests below the bald peak, a meandering bright river cutting through the trees. Three figures were atop the mountain. A hag, red of skin with a nose far too long and a cloak of gray that clung to her, somehow she was like a bird. A man loomed over her, his features beyond sight, his clothes plain but fine, a spear that rose higher than his distant face held at ready._

_Upon a bed of moss a most beautiful woman cried. It was birth, her belly swollen ripe with life as the long nosed midwife hovered over her. Even pained and swollen her beauty was flawless._

_Her legs parted, and fire poured forth. Fire everywhere, the red woman howled in pain and terror while the woman screamed, falling through the dark in flames. A roar shook the darkness and thunder threatened to split the world, as the husband raged and slammed his spear upon the earth._

_The mother fell, cloaked in flame, a fine robe it became on her form, fitting perfectly to a figure no longer strained by bearing life._

_She alighted on a land of corruption. All was darkness and filth, trees of twisted fruit and a river overflowing with corruption. There were others there, but her light held them back, nothing but shadows hiding in shadows._

_A distant light became her goal. The way to her proper place, far beyond and above this polluted land she need not linger in. Yet they hovered as she walked along the river's shore. The light drew them even as it repelled, driving them to sing in joy and mourning as had never been heard in the halls of the underworld._

_A song that reached a throne crafted in the likeness of this place. The ruler and warden of all in this darkness unbroken, stirred from his miserable duties. The darkness ever thickest around his mighty form he rose, in search of what disturbed the misery unending of his domain._

_He found it, and in a moment forgot his throne was one of revulsion, that his realm was a prison bounding guardsman and guilty both to its walls. Desire long forgotten grew and bloomed as he drew unto her light._

_She bid him back; it was not his place to waylay her. Her path lay beyond, she need only pass through._

_As he knew. Yet his realm was where she stood and he could demand his toll. To never look upon the sun or be looked upon by it, and in exchange all must pass before him one day and he may demand tribute._

_She had been unprepared, and her husband in his grief had given no offering even as he shook the world. So the Dread Lord took his payment even as her light burned his flesh on the banks of the river._

_The seed was planted, and she could go no further till it bore fruit. On the edge of the river he adorned her as unto a queen, her raiment of fire extinguished. But all in his realm was polluted and vile; from her throne of bones she waited, hating all who drew near, garbed in corruption at the river's edge._

_At last the time came and the seed was born. The child was born, a girl standing on her feet and climbed away from the pollution of the river at her mother's command. Colored after the sunless river save for the ember eyes of the flames of her conception she hid herself._

_The mother, exhausted and famished by the birthing, took an offering of fruit from the Dread Lord. And only having taken one bite realized her error. The Dread Lord rejoiced as his queen was bound to his realm. Yet, to dwell in his realm was to be polluted and her beauty decayed before his eyes. She sat upon her throne garbed in the fineries of the underworld, now one suited to wearing them._

_Seeing the decay of its mother the child refused the food of the underworld and sat beneath her throne, ever hungry. Looked past and unheard by the figure enthroned, she hungered in all ways in the darkness._

_At last the husband came. Teeth gashing and scowling as the unclean parted before him in fear, he searched for her in the darkness. He called for his wife, begging her return. The mother begged the Dread Lord his leave. For one not dead had come and had the right to demand one back from his realm._

_Glamored to seem as she had been, she came to her husband with the Dread Lord's challenge. The husband was to wait, beyond the door to the Dread Lord's throne room, until she was sent out, her business with the underworld done._

_The door closed, and he waited in darkness for her to come out. He waited long in night unending, the pollution of the very air offending him. He wondered what business has a wife with another man behind a barred door. What business to make him wait? And how long was he to wait? Until the seas ran dry?_

_Could he even mark the time without moon and sun as the unclean mocked him for ages wasted?_

_Breaking a tooth from his comb he lit it. The light drove back all his watchers, but one._

_He eased the door open, and by the light of the match saw her fallen form, with the Dread Lord. The mother roared with despair, covering her nakedness, for now she would never return from whence she came for his act._

_Donning her crown she called to the Oni, the hags, and the unclean dead; called them one and all down on her betrayer. Only his fall would sooth their queen, each one great and small stirred to lay the spearman low._

_Thus he fled, through the hosts of the underworld and about the Oni. Outwitting and overcoming, eluding all he did not lay low. Save the ember-eyed child, who ran between his great strides, never striking, but seeking his path._

_At last they emerged into the day. The husband paused for but a moment, and in that she slipped free and away into the world, before with a great boulder he sealed the underworld forever. The mother raged against the seal, cursing and renouncing him._

_At last, with a heavy head and conviction he renounced in turn, and washed himself of the underworld and its denizens._

_As he bathed, the child slipped away. In awe of the sun and all things beneath it, she forgot her endless hunger for sometime. Until she came across a peach tree, old and steeped in fruit. Freed from the pollution of her birth she did not fear she would rot, and the child of endless hunger sought to sate it._

_But the tree was thick and the branches far from her reach. Maddened by the scent and hunger, she tore and gnashed at the soil and roots in despair. In a moment of exhaustion, she saw her shadow stretching long on the ground._

_In the sunless lands no shadow was cast, so she knew not what she saw. To her it seemed a man dark, but most of all tall. The ember-eyed child bowed to the shadow and begged it to help her end the hunger she had known since her birth._

_The shadow was awed and humbled to be addressed so. She thought it a man, so it stood up as one, colored and eyed like the one who had addressed it so courteously. With ease, a blue hand seized the ripest peach and gave it to eager tiny hands._

_And with the first bite, just as those born to the living are bound to the dead, so did one born of the dead become one with the living. The tree was left bare before the girl rested beneath its boughs, the man who had been her shadow watching over her._

The scene faded away, Jade watched it go with puzzlement, lying easily in some man's arms.

"The Shadowkhan," she uttered, stunned.

"It is forgotten and now remembered. Kagehime, beloved of shadows, born from death into life, from darkness into light," the man spoke. She still couldn't see him through the darkness.

"Am I… dead?" she asked hesitantly.

"No, but nor are you worthy. Like Tametomo before you, you do not know what a shadow is," the man rumbled.

"A shadow is a shadow," she scowled at his hidden face. Somehow she knew he shook his head.

She rose out of his grasp, and to her surprise she tried to grab onto him. Up and away, the darkness fading. Fading into light…

_San Francisco, South Street Junkyard:_

"Freakin' buckshot," Drago cursed from his perch on the top of a rusting grey van. With a grimace, he tilted a pair of needle nose pliers awkwardly in his back. The dragon pulled the pliers out with a grunt and a small spurt of blood. His shirt and jacket were off, which revealed his scaled form, with several such crude holes bleeding across his chest, upper back, and two near his shoulder.

He held the pliers before his face, studying the bloody shot ball pinched in it. With a scowl, he opened the pliers and watched the ball fall with a ping and roll away and off the van roof.

"Finally," he sighed. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes, face setting into concentration. The air around his body started to warp in heat waves, and the paint remaining on the roof he sat on began to curl.

With a series of firecracker sounds, flames burst from his wounds. Eyes snapping open, the waves vanished. Wiping soot from his chest, Drago revealed the wounds to be gone without even a scar.

"Well one problem solved. Now what?" Drago wondered.

"Jade is vulnerable, but if that guy is running interference I'll need some serious firepower. The Talismans… no, my best chance is gone there. I know what I need, but I need more power to get it," Drago cursed, pulling his tattered clothes back on.

Scowling, he walked through the junkyard, taking in the odds and ends of humanity's crap. High pitched whimpering drew his attention to the dog he had cowed earlier, hiding in a beat up excuse for a doghouse decorated with rusty vanity plates.

Inspiration struck him and he almost face-palmed.

"I even said it to the gecko!" Drago cursed. Striding to the perimeter fence, he tried to put together a map of 'Frisco in his head.

There was one Talisman power still within his reach. Maybe not the one he would have picked, but one had to start the road to world domination somewhere.

_Jade Sea:_

The sky was overcast, thunder rolled in the distance. Yet the thunder was receding, and only the odd patch of sky was torn in the breaks of the cloudbank. The sea had changed though. Now clouds floated atop ink-dark waters, catching the twilight in its reflection and sucking it down below as the clouds glowed almost jovially.

The _Jade_ road the waves silently, cutting through the waters like a blade. Only the black sails strained, and the flag atop the mast flapping in the wind of the retreating wind betrayed the vessel's passage.

The Queen looked up at the banner of her ship, replacing the juvenile flag Hero had flown and she had been forced to tolerate for so long. A blue banner to match her coloring, with a red eye in the center surrounded by nine silver shuriken. She thought it was quite fitting.

Stepping up to the railing, she looked down on the deck where the crew muttered. Many Aspects newly splotched in blue stood among the ranks, a testament to her victory. Still, she winced at the thought of those stubborn Aspects chained to the hull and gagged. Depriving them so was against her "do as you please" approach, but they just weren't tolerable.

It made her glad in a way that Science and a few others had deemed to swim for it. A lack of opposition could make her reign dull. She thought over this as she descended the stairs to the deck. Expensive black slippers muffled her steps as the wind tried and failed to stir her precisely arranged hair. She held the sword beneath the hilt, still sheathed. It did not fit with her appearance, but she loved it and this ship regardless.

Even though it still seemed to be made for _him_.

She could not see Hero bound to the mast through the press. They were ignoring her; their attention was only for him now. She snarled, showing off her razor fangs. She drew the sword and pointed to the door beneath the helm station. The plank blocking the door rose with a clattering and the door swung wide with a bang.

All the Aspects scampered away, their alarm tasty on her tongue as she licked her lips. Ah, power. The chains struck out from the darkness beyond the door into the crowd, sending all but the most hardened Aspects fleeing back. She waited for the cry of alarm as she entered the channel the chains had cut. She did not need to fear them with the sword in hand.

No, never again would she fear those horrid chains.

But the cry never came. She blinked, seeing it but not hearing what she should. Somewhere deep in the vessel, an arthritic wheel began to turn and shriek, pulling the chains back.

Hero came forward with it, bound from neck to ankles in black metal. The swashbuckler was tattered, his kerchief a sodden white mess, the rest rags from what she could tell. Only his fine captain's hat was unspoiled. He looked at her as he dragged his heels. And looked.

She did not like that look. Crossing the shrinking distance, she hit him in the mouth with the sword pommel. He turned his head with the blow and looked back at her, smiling impeccably. Then he gave a single bark of laughter.

"What are you laughing at you… loser? !" the Queen demanded.

"You," he answered.

"Me? Hero, I have won. All that's left is what I don't need. This is not a situation you can escape from – this is your tragic downfall, not your heroic epic," she chided, watching as the chain drew him farther away, toward the open brig.

"Keheheheh," Hero chuckled. He shook his head, closing his eyes as his passage carved twin rows into the wood.

"Stop laughing!" the Queen roared, stamping her foot. Metal screamed and the wheel shrieked out of sight, in a rush of movement teeth and drawn back lips filled her sight.

"Kahahahaha!" Hero laughed into her eyes. With a gasp, she stumbled back; the chain jerked him, drawing him back away from her, carving out the deck again. Straightening up, she watched him go, suppressing an eye twitch.

"You. You are even more delusional than I am! Even more shortsighted! You just can't, you have no idea!" he laughed, the wind kicking up around them and rocking the boat. She watched him strain impotently against the chains, smiling at her with eyes that seemed to blaze, with a color that was _not_ red.

"You think suppressing me is just like what happened to you? ! Hah! You were a possibility; I am Hero! So much leads to me, so much comes _from_ me!

"But, you're right. I did lose, even if by no victory of yours. So take it, take all I had at my best and sail it on your heading. See where your course takes you. See what it makes you!" he cackled merrily, glaring at her as the crew drew back further.

A gust rocked the ship, sending black splashes onto the deck as he reached the doorway. The captain's hat was torn away, into the wind, leaving long hair to whip around freely.

"It's your show old man, show us what you've got," Hero laughed. With a final jerk back he was gone, into the darkness, only a Cheshire grin showing through the doorway.

The door slammed shut and the bar fell down, locking it into place, locking him away. The boom of wood on wood seemed to shatter the storm at last. The dark seas calmed and the clouds receded to the horizons. Baring a torn starless sky, the sun replaced by a pale moon reflected in the inky water.

The Queen gave a long sigh, holding the sword close to her chest. Even through the layers of her formal kimono, the steel was cold.

The captain's hat flitted through the sky, a sagebrush of the air. Almost merry in its idle wandering though the darkening world it finally drew near to a light. It may have been with some regret it allowed a human hand to reach up and grab it.

Father sat on the red tiled parapet. Light flooded from a nearby window; by it he solemnly inspected the hat, turning it over slowly. Manacled legs dangling over the edge, he looked out into the night, spying the distant ship.

"Fool, you gallant, magnificent fool. What did you have to prove? Why did you think it was worth so much?" he demanded, voice nearly cracking. The Father held the totem tight as he stood watch on the walls of the soul, the night growing darker beyond.

_Outside Uncle's Rare Finds:_

Stakeouts – hardly Drago's favorite pass time. Jade had agreed with him on how boring it was, even when teaching him how to go about it. She preferred action, and it had been even more pronounced in her younger days he had been told. The idea of a more proactive Jade, even in miniature… well, it was a bit intimidating.

But the payoff was being able to set up for that moment of awesome when everything happened in a flash.

So he waited patiently, if not happily. Watching the shop, waiting for the walkies.

He couldn't break in; the ward wasn't designed for him so he could break it, probably. But not so quietly as to not bring a pissed off chi wizard down on him on the guy's home turf.

Never fight a wizard on their own spot – you never knew what extra tricks they might have stashed.

But he knew this about this wizard, even if he was looking at the Vault with the place threatened, he would never leave his precious shop unattended. Add in a hyper dog and…

"And bingo was his name-o," Drago chuckled as Viper came out the front door with the dog on the leash.

"Huh, she doesn't look half bad with all that hair," Drago remarked. Pulling himself from his hiding spot on the roof across the street, he began to shadow her warily. He could handle her in this era, he was certain, but she would still have sharp senses.

Drago did not want to end up chasing the dog everywhere, so he approached this task stealthily. And he was so focused on sneaking up on someone else he did not notice someone was doing the same to him.

As his back was lashed, Drago cried out and shot up and forward, bracing and spinning against the ledge. Below, Viper looked up in surprise while Scruffy barked.

"Oh, you are so asking for this!" Drago roared at Karasu as the narrow-faced Shadowkhan cracked his whip.

"I told you, all I need do is prevent your victories to win," Karasu rebutted. Drago charged, forcing the ninja back in a series of leaps from the dragon's claws. He landed deftly on the opposite ledge, Drago still pressing on.

Springing into the air, he somersaulted in space as Drago ran into the ledge. Coming out of it, Karasu brought his heel onto the back of Drago's head, using it to spring away. Drago pitched, but recovered immediately to glare at the shinobi.

"Good move on a human, but my skull is much thicker, that must have hurt your foot," Drago taunted. Karasu pulled his whip from its coil on his arm and grabbed the leather in his free hand, stretching a length taut in front of him.

The leather crackled and seemed to be popping before it was free in a blink, coming for Drago's face. It cracked through empty air as Drago went down into a crouch and spat a fireball. The ninja leapt to the side clear, but came down with a roaring dragon in his face.

Karasu's tunic ripped as claws raked, revealing blue, but unbroken, skin. With a hiss, Karasu cracked his whip, its length ensnaring Drago's shin. Drago grabbed the cord as Karasu stepped back, pulling it taut. The leg jerked but did not send him down.

Red eyes glared into each other. Drago's free hand came down in a flame-coated chop, the whip snapping with a pop under the impact. Karasu stepped back, holding up the stump of smoking whip, scowling.

Drago laughed, unwinding his half and tossing it off the roof.

"Really, babysitter, I don't get it. She's not an idiot – if she was, I wouldn't have needed to resort to this. So why send you to stop me? I mean, she named you for a badass, but all she sees you fit to do is mind her brat.

"I mean it just doesn't make sense. Did you trick her into sending you back 'to prove your worth' or some crap like that?" Drago asked, crossing his arms, watching the ninja. He uncrossed them when Karasu grinned at him, an honest to crap grin!

"Drago, you are as blind as ever. You call yourself a dragon, but you are more demon than the Matriarch saw. Like Shendu, you view offspring as a bother, an investment you might take advantage of later. Your own miserable father's treatment of you is the measure you hold to family.

"Did it ever occur to you, that she chose me to watch over that which she valued most?" Karasu asked. Drago growled, taking a step toward his foe.

"Whatever! It still doesn't change-" Drago declared before a chi blast hit him in the back.

Falling to his knees, he glared over his shoulder to see Viper on the rooftop with Jackie Chan; Tohru was climbing up the ladder, having stopped to fire his fish.

"Shendu's son… I don't know. You see a resemblance, Jackie?" Viper asked coyly. Drago turned on them, vein throbbing in his forehead.

"Forget it! I'll change the future the old fashioned way. Break everyone and everything I can and see what that does. And you humans are the first!" Drago roared, smoke rising from his mouth.

Karasu threw a vial of glowing liquid at his back; it broke on impact, drenching Drago in thick green liquid. Drago felt it spread, turning back to the ninja as he clawed at the glowing substance.

"What was that? !" Drago demanded.

"Recall, to send you back to a fixed point in time. It only works on a time traveler, and that's all she could whip up. Enjoy your appointment," Karasu chuckled dryly.

"NO! I need more time! You cheated! This isn't fair!" Drago shouted as all but his face was covered in the glow.

"Drago, I'm a ninja, fair isn't in the job description, remember?" Karasu chided.

"Raaaaah!" Drago roared, spitting a final fireball before his mouth was covered. The projectile took Karasu in the chest, sending him hurtling back.

The liquid covering Drago stretched him prone, and then curled him into a ball. A ball that pressed smaller, and smaller, and smaller, until he was the size of a billiard. And with a crack-snap, that too vanished in a shower of green sparks.

"What just happened?" Jackie asked, looking at the spot where Drago disappeared.

"Two wrongs made a right, I think," Viper answered, nodding to where Tohru was already tying the unconscious Shadowkhan up with sutras. He was already knocked out – Wisker would be happy about that.

_Somewhere in Colorado, Future:_

When the blinding light cut out, Drago hit something hard. A stone floor, he realized as his thoughts started to catch up to the breakneck pace of that little bungie trick that had been pulled on him.

"My head," he groaned, putting a hand to it as he laid facedown. Had he gone overboard with his leave again, how much vodka had he…?

The question trailed off in his head as he recalled what he had been doing and why. More relevantly the situation he was currently in. Karasu had sent him to a specified point-

The Shadowkhan were on him before he could complete the thought. He couldn't tell how many there were as they grabbed him and started to shackle and chain him. His head still felt like an overworked anvil, and they slammed him facedown into the ground.

The face slam actually helped a bit, clearing the last fuzz out of his head. Still hurt, but at least he was thinking clearly again. Not that it did much good. Steel rang against stone as lengths of chain were secured to the floor with hammer and spike.

Jerked up by his shoulders, he yelled with wordless anger as an iron muzzle was slipped over his face and tied behind his neck.

The Shadowkhan withdrew silently, leaving him chained down in a kneeling position, arms manacled behind his back and muzzled against any fire breathing.

He could almost take this level of binding as a compliment, he noted wryly.

"Drago, Drago, _Draaaaago_," a familiar voice called from behind him. Stiffening, he tried to turn toward her, but the chains made that quite impossible. He could hear her slither across the floor, too well. She wanted him to hear each motion.

The son of Shendu repressed the shudder he felt as she came over his chained feet and pressed a hand into his back between the chains.

"Lady Matriarch," he bowed his head, voice given a metallic echo by the muzzle.

"I am so disappointed, Drago. So very disappointed. Not only have you repaid my generous patronage with treachery, but you have also proven all the accusations leveled against you over the years.

"Really, did you have to be so cliché?" she demanded. He couldn't tell if she was amused or angry. She moved away from his back into his peripheral vision; he could feel the length of her sliding across his legs as she wound around to face him.

Her face was obscured by the shadows, and the hair that nearly touched the floor as she moved. Two of those hair spikes lifted to point towards him, moving forward like curious snakes to hover in front of his face. One closed the distance to run over the muzzle while the other traced his brow, including the vein starting to throb in it.

"I saw something in you, Drago. Something that made me give you a chance after I wrested you from Verde's control. Even now I can see it – after all, it's the sort of gamble I may have taken if my goals seemed out of reach.

"But for two reasons I will not forgive this easily. Changing history to cheat your way out of an obstacle, I don't approve. Yes, maybe I would have done it once, but now I just see it as such… poor form. You should have had faith in your own skills rather than focusing on eliminating your enemy's strengths.

"Secondly, you threatened my family's existence.

"In light of this, how should I respond to treachery, my dear serpent?" she asked, red eyes flaring for a moment.

"Have mercy?" Drago asked. The hair tendril inspecting his face slapped him over the head.

"I was talking to Mohinder," she scolded him.

"It was worth a shot," he shrugged under the chains. He watched as her loose blue kimono stirred at the shoulder and a large black cobra emerged to wrap around her neck. The snake looked at him thoughtfully before disappearing up into her hair, to her ear, he realized.

The Matriarch "hmmed", as the snake lowered back into sight and slid back under her kimono by the opposite shoulder.

"Mercy it is," she smiled at him.

"Really?" Drago slipped, stunned.

"Yes, put him in one of the 'good' cells when you're done," she said, lifting her eyes to look above him. A thumping sound made him look away from her, to several half-masked Shadowkhan standing over him. They were patting their open hands with metal baseball bats.

"Oh sh-!" Drago cursed before the first blow landed on his neck.

The Matriarch watched, her eyes drifting close, setting the scene in a blur. She stroked her pet through the wool as it tried to settle back down.

"I'd say that's merciful, all things considered," she remarked to herself as she turned, slithering away from the beating, the long blue tail vanishing into the shadows.

_Windsor Mansion, Present Day:_

Jade lay in the bed, her only movement her chest rising and falling; more than ever she was dwarfed by its size. The blanket was pulled back to expose a shoulder and let a too-scrawny arm rest atop it. It was no longer the near emaciated look from the start, but it was not healthy. Her face had regained some of it vitality, though her cheeks were still gaunt, the bones a bit too defined. A black cloth, whose ends were lost in the black hair limply spread out across her pillow, covered her eyes.

Right glanced back to her from his spot standing at the foot of the bed. The Shadowkhan warrior had his katana off his belt but still sheathed. The tip of the sheath rested on the blue carpet, his hands on the pommel.

Left watched her, standing to her left side by the IV rig. His hands were free, but every so often twitched. He glanced to the IV bag, checking its level, despite having watched it long enough to know it was not time to change it, or to move her position, as Blankman claimed would prevent an injury of sorts.

They were her bodyguards, she was the one who had raised them to awareness and granted them power. Thought and the power to act on it, boons that to Left could never be fully repaid. Yet what could they do to protect her from this danger she was in now?

He wondered if he should have forced the wizard to stay and find a solution. The wizard said waiting was all that could be done, and his duty was to ensure the Shadow Hand's finances were ready for use when she awoke.

That was perhaps the key reason he had not placed further demands. The wizard did not regard her awakening as a possibility, but as inevitability.

The sound of tearing cloth stirred Left from his thoughts. With Right, he looked with stunned amazement as the Queen's exposed clawed hand raked the blankets as it balled into a fist.

"Your Majesty?" Right asked, walking around the side of the bed. She mumbled something, and Left put a hand on the bed to lean closer. Ear close to her mouth, he made out what she was saying.

Looking to his brother beside him, he realized he had heard it as well.

Left grabbed the cloth where it touched her cheek and gently lifted it off her face.

There were small but definite bags under her eyes of darker blue. More importantly, when she blinked her eyes shined through the nearly transparent skin. She blinked rapidly, no doubt confused by the switch from clear to fuzzy vision.

"My eyes?" she asked them. Or perhaps not, as she was still looking up at the ceiling.

"The wizard's work. We had hoped they would heal," Right answered. Jade looked toward them, and past at the antique lamp behind them, shining bright and merry. Her head jerked away, startling them.

"Turn off the lights," she ordered. They swiftly flipped switches and the room was soon only lit by errant sunbeams through the curtains.

Jade sighed, turning her head back. Her night vision was still awesome; this was enough to work with, she thought. With a deep breath she closed her eyes, still seeing the room, albeit it was blurry, but in the dark it was closer to what it should be.

She turned her head back toward her Shadowkhan and noticed the feel of her hair under her head. Frowning, she raised her free hand, stopping to stare at the IV needle taped to it.

"Bad day," she muttered. With some effort, she pulled her other arm free, eliciting sounds of tearing fabric. Confused, she looked at her hand, and was stunned by the black claws her fingernails seemed to have grown into.

"Wow," she uttered. She was no longer wondering about her hair.

"What happened?" she asked the red-eyed ninjas kneeling at her bedside.

"A wizard stole you-" Left began.

"I remember that!" Jade snapped. He bowed his head, and she shut her mouth, frowning. She massaged her scarred forehead with her free hand, stopping to try and be mindful of the claws. The dimming of her eyes showing her to have closed them.

"Sorry, I remember it. The light…" she whispered the last two words. The thought made her shudder, and shiver under the covers.

'No!' she forced herself still from the shaking, from thinking abut the…

"Lung?" she demanded sharply.

"Defeated, dead, his fortress and all within it yours by right of conquest," Right answered.

"Dead? Good," Jade sighed deeply, sinking back into the bed again. She looked the two of them over, quirking an eyebrow.

"You saved me?" she asked quietly.

"We do not know how we found you. Someone delivered us to the fortress," Left answered.

"He saved you from the orb," Right added, nodding to Left. Jade focused on the Shadowkhan with two sword hilts showing over his shoulders. She stared at him intently for nearly a minute.

"Your mask, take it off. You too, Right. I want to see your faces," she commanded, slowly sitting up in the bed.

Through a cracked door, Blankman watched from the darkened hallway. From here he could only see that they both had dark hair, Left's cropped short while Right's was pulled into a topknot style.

She seemed focused on Left, reaching out to touch his face.

"Scars?" she asked, her voice getting raspy from sudden use.

"I had to break the sphere with my face," he answered matter of factly. Blankman shut the door with the same silence he had opened it. Walking back down the corridor, he reached the medically stocked cart at the far end. Turning the lights back on, he began making noise again as he moved.

He pushed the supplies down the corridor; he wondered how long it would be before she could address the paperwork backlog? Hmm, it occurred to him being bed bound just might be an opportunity to finally get her caught up on it altogether.

Ah yes, this had proven a productive day after all, Blankman thought, stopping to straighten his replacement tie.

_Section 13, Detention Wing:_

In a highly secured, and warded, cell, Karasu sat on the steel floor. He had lost his blacks in exchange for prisoner oranges. He breathed deep in the lotus position, and smiled. His eyes cracked open, imagining the events unfolding beyond that door.

'Mission progress, highly satisfactory,' Karasu decided silently. After all, they were watching him closely, and listening.

Coming to his feet he fell forward, catching himself with one arm. Commencing one-armed pushups, the captive ninja wondered how best to prepare for the next phase.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_And thus, the saga continues, finally. This story can be divided into two parts – the first half, which is in reaction to Jade's relapse into Queen of the Shadowkhan, and the second half, in which the fallout from Lung's meddling enters the mix. The first half was fun for me to write and you my dear readers seemed to enjoy it quite a bit as well._

_It is my hope that as we enter Queen of All Oni Part 2, that my work will continue to meet the expectations that have been established. And if it seems to fall, I am as ever welcome to constructive criticism._

_Now, notes for this chapter specifically:_

_Blankman's savate de rue is likely full of holes since I've never even seen it used. Also for his opinion on it, he is not using the modern, regulated, sporting style but is closer to savate's roots as a French street fighting style._

_The Shadowkhan origin depicted here is created from altering and adapting the story of Izanagi and Izanami in Japanese lore._

_Thank you for reading, long days and pleasant nights to you all._


	15. Interlude IV

_Disclaimer:_ I still do not own Jackie Chan Adventures. Yet I am not sure who does? Hmm.

_Betaed by _Zim'sMostLoyalServant

* * *

_"Queen of All Oni"_

Interlude IV

Or

_Shaded Legacies_

_The Shadow Realm, During the Red King's Rebellion:_

A thousand candles illuminated the grand hall. The wood columns were carved in the likenesses of Shadowkhan from every tribe, holding up the ceiling hidden in darkness. The walls were painted, masterful classic depictions of beautiful blue women with blazing eyes. The attire of the women changed from hides and bronze studded leather at one end to attire that would shame the ladies of mortal courts as they approached the great double door. A dark statue of a woman stood at the far end of the hall flanked by two Shadowkhan women painted on the wall behind it. The two were shown clad in wolf pelt cloaks, their black hair wild, each looking weary and holding a bundle of cloth in one arm and a bronze spear in the other hand.

Under the watch of the Great Ladies and the Great Generals, four Shadowkhan sat in conference.

"A cunning strategy, eldest," General Ozeki the Ninth commented. Hiruzen sat at the head of the long table, the expected battle laid out before the Circle of Generals.

'The smallest circle in ages,' the Jonin thought. Only three of his peers remained at the table, the rest had declared for Tarakudo. Only the Sumo General and his vassals were in high spirits. Kamisori remained out of duty, and Kamakiri and his fellows were already saying their prayers for the end. Save for the vassals that had deserted them for Tarakudo's promised new era.

"This battle plan will serve, leave me. Prepare your troops for battle. For the Matriarchy," Hiruzen declared, raising a saucer of sake. They echoed his toast and drained their saucers with him. As one they hurled the saucers to the ground, shattering them.

Without further word, the three Generals rose and made their way from the hall, vanishing into the shadows. With a wave of his hand, Hiruzen dismissed the ninja watching in hiding. Truly alone, he looked at the battle laid out before him.

"So many have turned their backs. Only by slaying Tarakudo could we win, and how would we carry on with so many of our own made enemies? All roads lead to the downfall of our race," he admitted, rising to his feet.

He walked to the great door and looked on the three women painted atop it. Each was more beautiful than the other, creatures of such beauty and elegance, coldly looking down on those below. Their beautiful faces untouched by the elements, their raven hair full and well arrayed, their clothes the finest dyed silks. Hiruzen turned his back on the painting, marching back across the hall.

"Kagehime, I have failed thee. All you sought has been lost. There is only one promise I have failed to break, and it has brought us to this place," he said to no one. Reaching the table, he kicked it aside casually, scattering the markers laid out on it. He continued to advance on the obsidian statue.

"They have forgotten. But how they could remember what they were never taught? How can they follow a path so neglected the wilderness has reclaimed it? Selfishness begets selfishness, fear begets fear, and the ancient bonds are broken, setting sons and daughters adrift without purpose. Their inequity is nearly complete; even the faithful follow out of blind loyalty rather than conviction.

"From that day you called me to stand for you, to this day, I am yours," he said to the statue. His stony features softened stepping up to the statue, he stood over it by more than a head, as he had in life. He stroked its hard, cold cheek, remembering the softness and warmth of so long ago.

"They invoke you so easily as their mother, the Elders of the Matriachy, the last of the females. Do they truly not realize as every son has a mother, so does every daughter a father? No, I cannot condemn them – I have remained and been unable to change the course.

"I think I will die this day. A life long enough to see all I cherish decay into ruin. But I must fight to the end; it is who I am. And all I can offer to the future is a frail chance…" the elder ninja cupped the statue's chin; he stood silent, listening to the beat of his own heart, and with a sound of shattering ripped the head off.

"I will not ask forgiveness; let me be punished as my failures warrant. Whatever karma remains mine, I give to this frail hope," he said, dropping the head to shatter on the stone floor. Reaching into the hollow hole of the neck, he pulled out a small, unvarnished box.

He opened it to reveal a lock of shimmering dark hair. Hiruzen delicately plucked it from its resting place, and took a deep breath of it. For a moment he stood still, eyes closed, focused on the scent.

Closing both hands over the hairs he began to chant quietly, the candles going out one by one. When they where half gone, blue light began to flash between his fingers.

Shouting the final three words, the candles went out in a great flash. The hall was cast into darkness, until he opened his hands, casting blazing blue light over the statues and paintings filling the hall. The light faded until its source was revealed – a single peach pit resting in his cupped hands, swiftly losing the blue glow.

He stepped into the shadows cast by the fading light and was gone.

**X X X**

Stepping off the back of the great crow, Hiruzen looked over the meadow and woodland he found himself in. He had intended to go further, but the seed pulsed in his fist. This soil beyond the sea was where it wanted to be planted.

An insignificant island in the southern reaches of the Middle Kingdom. Tarakudo would never search here, even if he knew what was being planted. Perhaps wisely – success was the most unlikely outcome of this final gamble.

Going to his knees, Hiruzen ripped up grass with his free hand and began to dig. How long had it been since he planted anything? Would they remember that he had only become a warrior out of need? Why he had become the greatest student of the Tengu?

No, it did not matter, he reminded himself. His life had meaning only in how he served others. Tarakudo called him a fool for not taking the throne and everything else, maybe he was right. But it was too late for wisdom, if that was wisdom; nothing could save his children from the fate they had chosen so foolishly.

This venture… it was surely pointless foolishness. He buried the seed, pressing the dirt down with his hands.

The Jonin of Shinobi, Eldest of Shadowkhan, kneeled, hands pressed on the soil as if in prayer. Silently he rose and turned away. Whatever way it came, Hiruzen could face his doom knowing he had done all that he could.

"At last," he breathed, returning to the massive crow awaiting him.

_Japan, Decades Later:_

Sunlight shone through the shrine, where a massive man in simple brown robes sat before a worktable. It was covered in paint bowls and brushes of various sizes; wood shavings littered the floor around it.

"Finished," he breathed. He lifted his current brush from his work and cleaned it in a bowl of water, turning it red.

He rose to his feet with a grunt, holding and popping his back with practiced ease. Scratching at his dark beard, flecks of gray appearing in it, he hummed thoughtfully.

"Oh, I really am getting too old for this. Not much more though," he remarked with a sad smile. With that same expression, he delicately picked up his work and carried it through the shrine. The building had clearly been abandoned and only been partially restored over the last year.

Repairing the neglected structure had been satisfying work amidst his all-important task. Even though he could only make it habitable with his meager skills.

It had been something grand once, a shrine to benign kami that watched over this part of Japan. Like so much else, it had been abandoned and forgotten in these dark times. His height allowed him to glance through a window meant to provide light rather than a view.

The scenery was gorgeous, a glorious spring day, full of green, mountains in the distance, and the pond at the hill's base looked inviting with a blooming Sakura tree on its banks.

One would never know, by looking at this scenery, that the land was imperiled by darkness. Some would find nature's seeming apathy appalling, but the sage took it as a sign. Even in times of trouble and terror, one could find peace and beauty.

Opening a screen door, he turned from the beauty of nature to his own work. He placed the red mask on a table with its kin, the full set complete.

"Fearsome indeed," he remarked to the assembly of faces. He had truly captured their essence in wood and paint. For so long he had fought them, and despite some victories it was clear the evil could not be undone by meeting it as he had. This would be his legacy, yet it required still more from him.

They would be coming soon. It would end when the sun set, and begin.

**X X X**

He was sitting on the veranda of the shrine when his disciples walked up the path wearing the same brown robes, the simple tea set beside him prepared for four. Young men, strong men, and far wiser now than when he had sent them out.

Coming before the robed giant they bowed their heads, he answered in kind. When he raised his head, he smiled proudly.

"I sent you three forth to travel the land until you found what you needed, and brought it back to me. And so you have returned on the very day I finish my work, with the final pieces needed," he said.

"Though you gave us no notion as to what that was or where to find it," one of the disciples pointed out.

"Who am I to tell you the road you must walk, much less what it is you will find on it? But time grows short, I would ask you share with an old sinner what you have brought back from your journeys across our troubled land," the sage continued.

A student stepped forward; he produced a broken katana sword and laid it on the wood boards before the sage.

"A broken sword, wielded by a decrepit ronin defending a deaf beggar. The beggar did not know a lordling was present and did not bow. The nobleman took offense and tried to kill the man, the ronin intervened; he saved the innocent, but died a criminal. He was smiling as he died though. I knew him briefly, and know the world is poorer with him gone even if it didn't know he was there," the disciple reported. The sage picked up the broken weapon reverently.

"The sword symbolizes power. But broken it is courage, raised not in expectation of victory or glory, but with the expectation of defeat. To take up the broken sword is to believe one's life is worth less than the need to stand true against the evil born of man, and the evils born of darkness.

"My disciple, I teach you no more, for you have found courage," the sage proclaimed. The young man put his head to the packed dirt and withdrew. The next stepped forward and pulled out a round cracked mirror.

"A broken mirror, the sole possession of a leper woman. She lived in the forest, fallen from society and shunned. She was once the most beautiful in her town and sought by all men while accepting none to be forever courted and gifted. She did nothing and prospered by others' foolishness. Her vanity offended another woman who traded their soul to the Oni to inflict leprosy on her.

"She was cast out and sold all she had to survive. Save for her mirror, until the day came where she broke it, disgusted by her own face. Yet alone and in the winter she survived and learned by watching others from afar how to live. As a hermit, she survived and saw the truth of her existence and how the town she had thought herself the center of went on without her.

"She aided me in my time of need though I feared her and spat on her. She was a great teacher, and the world is poorer for rejecting her in her wisdom, when it embraced her in her vanity," the disciple told.

"Ah, mirror, a symbol of truth, for mirrors do not lie. But it is fit for it to be broken, for such is wisdom. For a mirror reveals only that which is on the surface. Appearance is not truth, no more than the surface of the sea is equal to its depths. To seek truth one must look beneath appearance and dare the depths.

"My disciple, I teach you no more, for you have found wisdom," the sage declared, taking the mirror and sitting it beside the blade. The disciple bowed and withdrew, while the last one reached into a pouch on his belt but hesitated.

"What is it that you have brought back?" the sage asked. The young man stepped forward and bowed deep, not revealing what he had brought.

"I bring you no great tale, and I have met no one to inspire a revelation. My wanderings were empty of signs, and took me to a ruin. I learned from the peasants who had sheltered me for the night that it had been a home to Retired Emperor Go Shirakawa, the last lawful ruler before the rise of the shogunates.

"A wise and holy ruler who lived his life fighting a losing battle against the rising darkness. I walked among the ruins pondering the man's life and the heroes who struggled and failed with him.

"I found a peach tree, small, stunted, and displeasing to the eye. There was no fruit, but I spied this among the roots," the disciple said. He pulled out a peach pit and laid it beside the other items.

"I returned to report my failure, it would seem your faith in me has been misplaced," the student apologized. The sage picked it up between his thumb and forefinger, examining it.

"The seed, a symbol of promises yet to be fulfilled. Hope, in that even from such a small thing a great and bountiful tree can come. It teaches humility, for what one disregards as meaningless, could grow to be the axle on which the age will turn.

"And to the Shadowkhan, the peach tree holds special meaning.

"My disciple, still you fail to see, blinded by expectation. I can teach you no more, for you have brought me what I need even in ignorance.

"Let us share tea one last time, my friends. Now comes the time to end, and begin," the sage said rising to his feet.

**X X X**

The sun set over the shrine, staining the skies red as smoke rose from the pyre. The massive form of the sage lay wrapped atop the pyre he had prepared for them. The disciples stood before it, their robes dyed black, gray, and white by the forces of the final ritual.

"He was a samurai once, an officer of a corrupt daimyo who cared not for his people. He was a bully, a barbarian who used his great strength to not only enrich his master but to satisfy his own cruelty.

"He was undefeated until the day a good man laid him low but spared his life. When the good man took ill he sought to end him, even invading a temple. The priest defeated him and left him humiliated in the mud. When he sought to burn the temple in the night a woman outwitted him, setting fire to his horse, humiliating him before his men," the man in black said.

"His master turned on him in time, condemning him for the crimes he had committed on his orders. No one spoke for him; all despised him. Yet those who had defeated him came to his aid, and delivered him from his fate.

"His amazement and confusion sent him down the road that led him to this place," the man in gray said.

"He shall be remembered as the Shadowbinding Sage. For by his sacrifice, evil will be bound until the day a new era begins. Though I am not worthy, I take his quest as my own, until the day comes…" the man in white finished. The other looked at him in surprise, yet his eyes were hard and determined.

The masks were ready, empowered by courageous self-sacrifice. But even so, putting them to use would be no easy task.

There was much work still ahead of them, and they could not fail.

* * *

**AN:**

_Well there you have it. Not the full-length chapter you were hoping for when you saw the story had been updated, I expect. Still this was the best place in the plot line to put this, and I haven't inflicted an interlude on you lot in a while._

_Now to see if my muse will let me work on one of my poor neglected other stories. Or whether it has me work on the next chapter here._

_By the way, this next chapter will have us finally get our little leading lady back into some action as she mends. Action that will involve a bag full of live rats!_


	16. Masks

_Disclaimer: _I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures. If I had even written for it, the network would probably have red lit the pilot due to my being crazy.

_Betaed by:_Zim'smostloyalservant

* * *

**PDJ Proudly Presents:**

"Queen of All Oni"

CHAPTER XII

**Masks**

OR

_Exploring the Perils of Accessorizing_

The ship cut through the black tide, sending waves that disturbed the reflection of a pale moon. Sails filled with the winds and ropes creaked as minor Aspects went about their business in the rigging. Human Aspects endured the black spray, restrained by chains bolted to the hull.

The Queen paced the main deck, her crew shying away at her slippered footfalls, as her crimson eyes swept over everything and nothing. Pausing, she held out an arm covered by the dark purple kimono's sleeve. With a flick of her hand she sent the sleeve back, revealing the blue hand with black nails elegantly manicured into points.

Red eyes looked to the deck and the shadow cast by her hand. It was a thin and feeble thing in the moonlight, she thought. Disliking such thoughts, she cast them aside, putting a fingertip to the pommel of the sword she wore sheathed under her silk belt. Unmanned, the helm turned itself, bringing them in closer to their destination.

The shining center of this surreal realm, at once a mountain and a rather humble man-made structure. It managed to both fit perfectly with this world and also seem utterly out of place. In the world, but not of it?

Home, the so-called final fortress of the soul, the only place where daylight persisted in the face of her total conquest. Smiling, she stroked her shifting black crown with her free hand.

The ship slid smoothly into the small harbor, right up against the rock formation that made a natural dock. A finger lifted from the pommel and the sails rolled up, the ropes moving of their own accord, sending at least one Aspect crashing down to the deck. Another two raps stopped the ship and sent a wide gangplank sliding down to hit land with a thud.

Three figures stepped into view to follow her as she made her way to the disembarkment. Ambition, in new armor and what seemed to be a bigger and tackier sword, and Fury, wild looking as ever, arms no longer bound but still strapped in the straitjacket's sleeves. With those two flanking her, they were followed by a hunched figure clothed in a black cloak and cowl, only a withered blue hand visible as it held onto a gnarled black walking stick.

Nearing the bottom of the gangplank, the Queen paused, her escort along with her. The plank ended in front of a familiar counter, which was being cleaned with a rag by the familiar man behind it.

"Father," she hissed. He glanced up at her before returning to his task.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, focused on his cleaning.

"I have come to take full possession of this world in my own name," she proclaimed, raising her arms as lightning streaked across the sky and thunder boomed. She wilted a bit when Father rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly at the display.

"No, go somewhere else and make a mess," he said, flicking the rag at her.

"…What? ! You can't talk to me like that!" she shrieked at him.

"I just did," he answered calmly. Baring her fangs, the Queen stomped down the gangplank, and stopped just short of setting foot on land.

"I beat Hero, he's gone, I won. W-O-N, I can do as I like and you can't do anything about it!" she shouted as her two escorts rushed down to join her. The cloaked figure descended much more patiently, its staff a steady rhythm of wood on wood.

"Oh really?" Father asked, reaching under the counter. He pulled out Hero's hat, holding it out for them to see.

Ambition cursed while Fury took a step back. The Queen's eyes widened to look like cherries before narrowing into slits.

"How can you have that?" she demanded.

"He said you were gone, and here you are. You say he is gone, and here we are. Gone doesn't seem to mean what it used to. And as far as ideas go, his roots run far deeper than yours ever will," Father said, stepping around the counter, his shackles clinking. The Queen watched him walk to just outside her reach, hat held easily at his side.

"It's just an accessory, a relic. It means nothing," she insisted.

"Then come and take it from me," Father said.

"Fine, taste the Sword, old man!" she declared, grabbing the hilt and pulling. It didn't budge; three more tugs and grabbing the scabbard didn't reveal even a sliver of the blade within. Ambition walked backward up the plank a few paces, while the Queen glared at Fury. The demented Aspect gave her an exaggerated shrug before the Queen hit her on the nose.

"Where's your strength, Your Majesty? Look whom you have with you – Ambition at your right, Fury at your left, and is that? Yes, it's _that_ one behind you; how disappointing," Father sighed, shaking his head.

"Really? I'd think you'd be pleased at seeing her, you always did think she was important!" The Queen snapped.

"Still seeing what you expect rather than what's really there. Lecturing to the deaf is pointless; you cannot advance, leave," he told her. The Queen bristled, a wind whipping past her, tugging at her fine clothes and loose strands of hair. A wrinkled hand touched her arm and the wind subsided.

The Queen leaned down to listen as the cowled crone whispered in her ear. Giving a nod, the regal woman stood up again.

"I will be back, and that will be your last day," she promised. With a sweep of a newly formed black cloak, she turned on her heel and stalked back up the plank to the ship, Ambition and Fury following after.

Father glared at the crone, who raised a hand to pull back her cowl enough for him to see some of its face.

"I already guessed. I suppose it's to be expected, eating someone who disagrees with you. Especially when you try and cut a piece off yourself afterwards," Father grunted. The moonlight caught on a shard of red-purple wood on sagging blue skin before the hood and its shadow was pulled back into place. With a diseased laugh, the crone began her climb as Father walked inland, stony face set grimly.

_Real World:_

Under a harsh sun in a stark blue sky, an engine hummed towards civilization. The jeep cut across the scrub-ridden desert towards a small airport with a dusty but bustling town adjacent. The majestic stone formations at their back, the arid land opened up on the horizon they faced.

"Well, there's the airstrip, and still no Jade," Jackie said as he steered the jeep onto the dirt track leading to the airstrip's hangers. Viper sat next to him, wearing her white hat and sunglasses against the heat.

"You sound disappointed. Fighting ninja while digging up a cliff face would not have been fun," Viper told him.

"How do you even bury something in solid rock, much less that high up?" Jackie asked the air as he slowed the jeep. Tohru waved to them as a hangar door started to slide open, Viper returning it before answering.

"My guess, a wizard did it," she answered with a smirk. Jackie didn't answer as the sleek Section 13 jet rolled into sight.

It looked like whatever let Jade keep pace with them had failed for once.

Then their tires blew and the jeep slid to a stop.

"We've taken on shuriken," Viper said, opening the door to look at the front tire on her side.

"Hidden spider bursts from hole!" Hak Foo yelled as he burst from a trap door to their right that had been covered with the dusty soil.

"Take the mask," Jackie said, practically leaping from the car to face the mercenary.

"Right," Viper said, grabbing the locked steel box holding the thing. She bolted through the other side of the car as three more trap doors opened up across the roadside, having been concealed under a pile of tin cans, a cow skull, and a fake cactus. The panting and half naked Enforcers rolled out, practically collapsing under the sun.

Viper raised an eyebrow at the sight of her opposition.

"Someone didn't think this through," she commented.

"What took you so long? !" Ratso demanded, pulling at his undershirt.

"Viper!" Tohru called.

"Jade?" Viper asked, turning her head. But the one approaching on cat light footsteps was not Jade. Without the mask, it took her a moment to realize what she was seeing.

"You guys have faces under the mask?" she asked.

"It's like the sword, it grew on me. Now, I believe you have something that does not belong to you?" the oddly handsome Shadowkhan said. Despite the heat, he seemed to be doing quite well with some old-fashioned looking robe on over his other duds. Viper recognized one of the two kanji decorating his shoulders – "Jade".

"I'm a thief, it's kind of what I do," she told him. He drew his sword, deflecting two chi blasts away, one after another, as Uncle and Tohru joined the fight.

In one motion, the Shadowkhan closed the distance between them and drew his sword. He swung it out with the flat of the blade aimed at the mask case.

Viper lifted the case above the strike and stepped into the opening the awkward strike had left. She hit him over the head with the steel in her hand and side stepped while he was stunned.

A pair of chi blasts hit him, knocking him up into the air to land with a flop.

_Shadow Hand HQ:_

Jade growled as a drop of sweat beaded on her brow. It ran down the blue skin to hit the band of black cloth covering her eyes. Kicking her feet in the air, she pulled, her knuckles turning a paler blue. Her raised chin slowly passed the steel bar she was holding onto; holding it for a moment, she lowered herself back down to dangle in the doorway the bar spanned.

"How many does that make?" she snapped to Left, who was standing a few feet away, watching. Unlike Right, he was still wearing some of his mask, the lower half. She hadn't asked why.

"Shit," Jade cursed, letting go of the bar to float in the air. Touching down on the floor, she walked to Left, who was holding her robe as she took off the workout shirt. The sleeveless shirt hung loose on her. She put a clawed hand around a scrawny arm.

"Lung! If he weren't dead, I would kill him!" she cursed. She was in worse shape than when she had met Jackie, all her hard earned muscle and endurance, burned away by those lights! She was still strong for her size, but Captain Black would probably beat her without her jaws and magic in play.

"You should not be exerting yourself so much," Blankman said, walking in as Jade put on her outfit. She tied back her now limp hair at the back of her head, rolling her eyes.

"Ever heard of rehab? I can't just sit around waiting to bounce back," she told the wizard with the clipboard. He may have helped rescue her, but her dislike of being ordered was one of the things her ascension had not altered.

"The nature of your injuries is not such that mere exercise will yield results, as I have said. It is both magic and spirit that have ravaged the flesh," Blankman said, tone unchanged as he flipped through the papers.

"Heh, the tablet I have has no healing magic, and my own healing is the reason I'm not dead now. Though your potions did help – enjoying the raise?" she asked, adjusting the cloth covering her eyes.

"Well invested. But what I am interested in is this," her foreman said, pulling a form off the clipboard and handing it to her. Blinking behind the cloth did little good, but it was a bit closer to the lack of sight that she could now only get with her sleeping mask. She never realized how much not being able to _not_ see would be annoying.

"Doctors?" she asked, scanning the paper.

"Yes, these two not only cater to those whose issues are rooted in less than legal activities, they are also known for some experience with the paranormal. Once you look that over, I would like to set up an appointment with one of them," Blankman informed her blandly.

"What? They're magic doctors?" Jade asked, not reading the paper.

"Actually, they are therapists. Considering what you experienced, I believe it prudent to…" the well-dressed wizard trailed off as shadow chi sparked from her fingers, setting the paper on fire. Tossing it into the air, she drew a fan from seemingly nowhere and fired a small crackle of the black energy. The paper disintegrated before hitting the ground.

"I don't need therapy. Now where are we on Operation Blazing Wolf?" Jade demanded.

"Regrettably, progress has stalled. Word has gotten out that the Shadow Hand no longer commands an army, and now the syndicates are being not only disrespectful, but disrupting our associates in Mexico City. One of the crime lords in particular is actively harassing our efforts; he is aware of our goal and demands a cut for operating in his territory," Blankman reported.

"Grrr, what do we do about this?" Jade demanded. As if having Jackie working against her wasn't bad enough. Now she had bunch of Mexican Valmonts getting ideas.

"You should get more sleep to go along with that food. Studying that tablet may yield more power, but if you burn yourself out and end up back in a hospital bed, it will be for nothing," Blankman answered. Her eyes flared red through the black cloth.

"As for me, I would prefer to go to Mexico City in person. I am sure I can make the locals see reason on our terms in relatively short order," Blankman said. At this, Jade smiled as Left handed her a water bottle.

"Good, it's about time you worked the field. I hired you to be a badass, and so far all you've been is a paper wizard and accountant," Jade smirked. Blankman gave a sigh as she took a pull from the water bottle.

"I would prefer to avoid violence in this if possible," Blankman admitted. Jade snorted, spitting out some of the water.

"Where's the fun in being evil if you don't get away with being aggressive?" she demanded. A creaking in the wall drew their attention. Three bumps rose from the wood paneling and assumed rough forms of the Enforcers' faces.

"Well, they're back. Anyone care to bet they won?" she asked, dismissing the ghouls.

**X X X**

Jade hovered into the conference room to take her seat at the head of the table as Hak Foo and the others took their seats. Looking to the light pouring though the tall windows with distaste, she pulled up the hood of her cloak over the top of her head.

"I don't see any mask," Jade remarked. Hak Foo's scowl deepened while the other humans looked resigned. Right stepped forward from the spot he had taken at her side.

"I regret to say it was not even a close matter. The enemy came in force, and lacking my brother's might and your power, the only way we could have prevailed was with subtlety. And these humans are utterly lacking in finesse," Right said. Hak Foo stood quick enough to send his chair back and Finn actually straightened his face, showing clear offense at the remark.

Jade glared "Mr. Calls his Attacks" down then raised an eyebrow to Finn, who just looked away.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I wasn't exactly expecting you to win. I just couldn't let Jackie get a mask for free on principal," Jade admitted, massaging her temples.

"Yeah, it was weird for you not to come. I mean, Chan could never ditch you for nothing, right?" Ratso pointed out. Her eyes flared through the blindfold again, but quickly dimmed.

"I'm impulsive and brave, not stupid. Facing them in this condition is just asking to be captured. Fortunately, what I've been able to learn about the other tablets assures me this won't last.

"Blankman will be going to Mexico soon and he will secure the location of the next tablet. That tablet will either have the key to healing me, or it will allow me to shift the balance of power in my favor.

"It has occurred to me that while keeping the masks out of Jackie's hands is important, using them has given mixed results, to say the least. I even have Ikazuki's mask, for all the good it does me. The next mask could just as easily turn on me as ally with me. Letting the Generals chill until I have taken a few levels in badass seems like a good plan.

"Oh, don't worry, Hak Foo, I will let you have a mask as agreed. But for the other masks, a long stay in my own vaults, until I can show them who is the Queen, is in order. After all, controlling my own army is less impressive when so many other Shadowkhan armies are out and about. So you see, the masks, like the Talismans, are important but not vital.

"The Teachings of Eternal Shadow are the key to increasing my own power; they are the highest priority. And that means we keep Jackie from realizing that fact for as long as possible," Jade announced.

Everyone waited.

"Well? Get back to work!" she barked. They got to their feet hastily, with the exception of Blankman, who methodically gathered up the papers he had spread into a folder.

"Man, we should have included holiday breaks in the contract negotiation," Ratso griped as he passed behind Jade's seat.

"Holiday?" Jade wondered, stopping the men in their tracks.

"It's Halloween, and perhaps he has a point. If you refuse to rest, perhaps a change of pace will benefit you," Blankman pointed out.

"Hmm, trick or treating? Why not? I could stay at it for as long as I want, and no one to say I can't eat all the candy I get in one night either," Jade pondered, glancing to her reflection in the window.

"Yeah, but where will you get a costume this late?" Ratso asked. Jade and everyone else looked at him.

"What?" he asked.

_Chinatown, San Francisco:_

"Will you stop that?" Viper asked Tohru. She and the young wizard were crammed into the back seats of a Section 13 black car. Captain Black had been insistent that if they weren't bringing the mask straight to the Vault, it would at least be escorted securely to the shop's protective wards. Jackie and Uncle were in the car behind them, having the actual mask on them while Tohru had the box they had been carrying it in.

"What?" Tohru asked, looking at her confused. He did not look good, and Viper knew it wasn't just jet lag. He had had some strange feeling about Jade and had gone into overdrive in both the wizard stuff, and feeling guilty.

Viper did not approve of someone kicking themselves. It was unhealthy and just plain useless. It was better to just do what you could to fix whatever went wrong, and move on from there.

"You keep glancing around like Jade's going to pop up and attack with a Shadowkhan army any second. Jade sees this as a game and that means she follows the rules, even if she bends them. She might have tried something at this airport, but now we are pretty much in the clear," she assured him.

"Viper, Jade didn't show up to fight for possession of this mask. Can you see Jade passing up a chance to fight for any prize?" Tohru practically snapped. Viper blinked at that, while Tohru immediately looked sheepish.

It was true, the Enforcers, Hak Foo, and one of her Shadowkhan had put up a fight. But Jade herself had not made an appearance. And why was that? Viper had been hoping it was Jade pranking them, hoping they would go crazy waiting for the other shoe to drop. But saying that to Tohru now made it seem like a lousy theory.

Tohru frowned, looking out the window.

"This is all about Jade proving something to herself and us. Showing how much better she is at all this, or something.

"There are only two reasons she would let something like one of the Oni masks pass her by like this. I'm not sure which one frightens me more.

"On the one hand, she might if she was preparing something else; some magic or some plan. And whatever it is, Jade sees it as worth practically letting us have a mask," Tohru told her.

Viper had considered that a bit to be honest; for all her talk about games, Jade hated losing. If they kept handing the girl-turned-demon defeats, might she just knock the chessboard off the table and go for the throat? Jade's temper had gotten worse, and she could be a brat at times even as a human.

"And the other hand?" Viper pressed.

"The other possibility, is that Jade _couldn't_ challenge us for this mask. It would mean my senses were right, something very bad has happened to her… and we failed her," Tohru stated, eyes closing.

Viper had nothing to say to that. Agent Wisker glanced at the two of them through the rearview mirror, his expression unreadable as he drove the car.

They had finally entered Chinatown, which put Viper at a bit more ease. Jade had only ever confronted them here under duress; perhaps the girl was still sentimental about her home? Then the car came to a halt after turning onto their street.

"We may have trouble, masked men," Wisker reported. Viper and Tohru looked ahead to the shop, and got out of the car. Wisker did not look amused, which amused Viper as she leaned down to look at him through the window.

"They're friends," Tohru said to the agent, before turning away. Jackie and Uncle got out of their own car, also carrying their luggage. Soon enough the four were on the sidewalk, and the black cars whisked down the road.

'And why are you two here?' Viper wondered. El Toro had been leaning against the shop front reading a newspaper, while Paco sat nearby playing a Game Boy. While El Toro had a nice dark suit on, making his ever present mask all the more flamboyant, Paco was dressed like a mini El Toro, but with a blue mask rather than red.

"Yackie! When we saw you were out we called Captain Black, he said you would be along soon. And Viper, it's been awhile," El Toro greeted them, folding up the paper.

"El Toro. It's good to see you, but why are you here?" Jackie asked, stepping up to shake hands with the luchadore. Uncle ignored the two visitors, grumbling about more masks as he unlocked the shop. El Toro raised an eyebrow at the question.

"Yade invited us months ago to attend the Halloween festival with your family. Though she didn't mention Viper. Still set on her 'J-Team' idea is she?" El Toro asked, before smiling at the girl's antics. Whenever he was tempted to complain of Paco's antics, he need only think of what his ever-anxious friend endured with that irrepressible niece of his.

"AH, that's right! So much has been happening," Jackie almost face-palmed. Stopping himself, he motioned them inside. El Toro noted that the shop was not very tidy – not that he had much experience with antique shops. But Jackie's uncle struck him as the type to forget to shower but abhor dust on the counter.

"It looks like my room," Paco remarked.

"Masked boy is _verrry_ rude! Come Tohru, we must return to research at once," Uncle snapped. Tohru watched Uncle go storm into the back as he tapped a sutra into the steel box. Closing it, he gave a hello to El Toro before following after.

"Didn't know there was a little league for Lucha Libre," Viper said to Paco.

"You're at looking El Paco Fuerte! The second mightiest wrestler in the world, surpassed only by the great El Toro Fuerte," Paco puffed his small chest out.

"Isn't he a bit young?" Jackie asked El Toro as Paco began to regale Viper.

"Never too early to start training for a way of life. And it's only a costume for 'trick or treating'. I can't believe Jade would miss out," El Toro answered as Jackie motioned him into the kitchen.

"Well… things happen? I am sorry about this, I should have called or something. I think Viper is going to pass out candy, but we are too busy to really do anything else," Jackie apologized. El Toro looked back at Viper thoughtfully.

"I will be the champion of Halloween," Paco proclaimed.

"Sorry kid, but for Halloween the prize goes to scariest," Viper told him amused. The amusement evaporated as he deflated, touching his mask.

"You do not think my costume is worthy?" he asked. Viper glanced to the side for a moment, time to think fast.

"Well sure, for a luchadore. But for the fear factor it doesn't really stand up next to goblins, monsters, zombies and the other competition," Viper answered. Before it could get any more awkward, she joined the other adults in the kitchen.

Paco took his mask off and looked at it sadly. He had been so proud of it, but Viper's words rang true. If it was a contest of scariness…

Perhaps it wasn't too late for a substitution? He looked at the shelves of the shop – no masks of any kind. But Senor Tohru had left something on the desk just now?

**X X X**

"Is something happening?" El Toro asked as Viper joined them.

"What?" Jackie denied in an unconvincing tone.

"Well, Viper is here and you seem on edge. Dark forces?" El Toro asked.

"Yes," Viper said, earning a look from Jackie.

"Senor Shendu?" El Toro asked grimly.

"No, Shendu is still petrified in Section 13," Jackie answered. At least _that_ problem seemed to finally be solved, whatever else went wrong.

"Then what?" the wrestler queried.

"Listen, we are working closely with Section 13. You don't need to be involved, enjoy the trick or treating," Jackie sighed.

"Bad enough that you actually sent Yade back to Asia?" El Toro realized.

"Listen handsome, if we need your help we will give you a call," Viper stepped in. The large man gave the two of them a small frown but nodded.

"Very well then. Give mine and Paco's regards to Yade," El Toro said, walking between them and back into the main room.

_Halloween Night, San Francisco_

Jade had considered sprucing up her outfit for a night on the town. Maybe replace her not-blindfold with some cool shades, or put her crown back on for the night? But she had long since resolved if she got a chance for trick-or-treating she would do it old school right. Scary. And one positive of her little "tanning booth from Hell" experience was that she looked much creepier now.

"And for the ninja girl!" the bubbly blonde woman said as she dropped a small Snickers bar into Jade's outstretched bag. Jade smiled at her, showing off her pointy teeth. The woman's smile faltered for a second, then she laughed a little and closed the door.

'She must have decided that I was, of course, just wearing fake-scary-teeth,' the Queen guessed, amused. Jade walked down the brownstone's steps slowly as the other ghouls and pop culture things she had shared the door with rushed on.

In her opinion, she was the best in creepy tonight. Her covered eyes in particular seemed to creep them out; along with the hood covering her hair and scar (which they probably assumed was fake), they saw her as something more in tune with horror movies than kids messing around.

She recalled that the whole trick-or-treating deal was started as a way to ward off evil spirits on this night with offerings to appease them. Treat them, or they'll trick you. The idea had struck Jade as neat then, now it was becoming fact.

This next door she arrived at she was not sure of. It was well decorated, but only the dopey smiling Halloween stuff. Well, she intended to milk the holiday for all the candy and laughs she could, so…

"Trick or treat!" she said as the door opened promptly. He eyes widened a bit at the sight before her.

She didn't really mind the candy givers being costumed like some people did. Jade had even been a bit impressed by one, a man who had decked himself out in evening ware complete with white gloves and a fedora, while wearing a head-covering snarling ape mask. He had also been giving out Bavarian chocolate, clearly an old trick-or-treater paying forward good memories.

This was a fat, middle-aged woman, dressed like a pink fairy, complete with a wand… with a giant tooth on its tip?

'The force is strange with this one,' Jade remarked to herself, holding the closed smile on her face.

"Well, aren't you just adorable!" the woman gushed. Smile over – she was a scary badass, not cute from any angle!

"And where is your group?" the tasteless fairy asked. Hello, Mr. Scowl, back again are you? Jade held up her bag in a silent ultimatum.

The "tooth fairy" leaned out the door, glancing both ways down the street. No doubt hoping to see some kind of Jackie chaperoning her. Did she really look like she needed her hand held?

"Trick or treat?" Jade growled. The woman frowned at her; Jade realized the growl had been more literal than she intended.

"Little girl, you need to get back to your group right away," the woman said, closing the door. Jade's eye twitched behind her blindfold; muttering curses, she scurried down the steps and ducked into the nearest ally.

She clapped her hands and Left rose from the shadow on the brick wall and held out a squirming burlap bag.

Jade rang the doorbell again and the fat fairy woman emerged with that too wide smile again.

"Trick!" Jade yelled gleefully. She swung the squeaking rat by the tail, throwing it up and into the woman's chest. Jade laughed as she sprinted down the sidewalk, ducking into a shadow to get some distance. Behind her, the fat lady screamed hysterically; Jade grinned from ear to ear at the sound.

She came out in an alley, and stepping onto the sidewalk was pleased to find she had hit another area ripe with houses to be treated at – or to trick at. With no curfew, she could keep this up for as long as they kept answering the doors. And after that, she had toilet paper and eggs aplenty.

Letting out a content sigh as she walked down the sidewalk, she almost missed the voice in the group of kids walking by her in the opposite direction. The surprise stopped her in her tracks.

'Nah, it couldn't…' she thought, looking back. Then she let her face be split by a fang filled grin.

It was.

**X X X**

Drew was enjoying himself. He hadn't had any nightmares for a while, and he could usually convince himself they had been just that. He had even been able to talk his dad out of the therapist.

And there was nothing like candy night to bring up his spirits. And the candy wasn't even the best part about Halloween.

"Aren't you too old to be doing this?"

"Your mom pick that out for you?"

"Man, and I thought you were a sissy before!" Drew went on with his slightly louder than necessary commentary.

He had just sent the class tomboy, now that ninja girl was gone, off. She had been trying not to cry at his snark on her very pink outfit. Not his fault she couldn't keep to her own self-appointed theme in life.

All he did was just lay out the cards as they were. It wasn't his fault people were so thinned skin, or made it so easy in the first place.

Sometimes people get a chill up their spine, or hairs on their neck stand on end before something bad happens. For Drew, he received no such warning; perhaps he was simply too at ease in his element to take note?

Either way, the first hint he had that something was wrong was his feet not rising as they were bid. It was only a moment, he almost stumbled, and before he could glance down to see the blue hands grabbing his sneakers, he fell down into the shadow as if it had been water.

It would be nearly a minute before one of his friends noticed he had vanished from their midst.

_Elsewhere in San Francisco:_

The boy in the yellow and blue superhero outfit was spat out from a wall in a back alley. Drew scrambled to his feet, adjusting the red bandanna with eyeholes serving as his superhero mask.

"What? How?" he stuttered, looking at the deserted, garbage-filled alley, the night sky obstructed by rusting fire escapes.

Jade stood behind him, grinning at the back if his head.

"Drew," she whispered. She stepped around him silently as he turned, staying in his blind spot. As he continued to look, she stepped closer, practically whispering into his ear.

"Drew."

Still she stepped away in time. She smirked while running a clawed finger between his shoulder blades as he twisted around. Jade held her breath, leaning close enough that her nose almost touched him.

"DREW!" she roared at the back of his head. He shrieked, leaping high into the air and running, not even looking back.

'I should just let him go now.'

'Why?'

'…Good question,' she conceded to herself, sinking into the shadow she was standing on.

Drew saw something rising from the pavement in his path and skidded to a stop. Too quickly, the ground too slick, he took a tumble, and found himself looking at straw sandals with blue socks.

"How nice, you know the proper position," the monster said. Drew cringed back, pulling himself up to scoot away with speed born out of fright.

It was _the monster_! He had never seen it so clearly, but that voice, and its shape, it all fit.

His dad had been wrong. The monster had been real all along. Its eyes were covered, and he was glad for that. It wasn't really the monster so long as he didn't see those eyes.

He couldn't say why, but it made absolute sense in his panicking mind.

"Trick… or… treat," it said, cocking its head with each word. Trembling, he got to his feet. It smiled, showing off shiny, pointed teeth.

"Trick or treat," it repeated, taking a step towards him with each word.

"I… I dropped my bag," he stuttered. The smile vanished, along with its teeth. For a moment that made him glad, then it reached up, pulling back its hood. Somehow, he had expected its hair to be spiky; instead it was pulled back in a bun. But it reached up with one dark clawed hand and pulled the headband covering its eyes off.

They glowed a dull red in the shadows, watching him with unknown but never benign intent.

"That is a problem. I have already tricked you, now you must treat me," it said.

"I don't have any-" he insisted, pitifully stepping back.

"Don't lie, you still have tasty treats. So share," it demanded. Its eyes opened. And he finally realized that even when this monster's eyes were closed, they were open, watching. It sank into the ground and vanished from sight.

More afraid by not seeing it than seeing it, he looked around fanatically. Then arms wrapped around his chest and it pulled him close.

"Yes, you are a treat, sour, but a treat," it purred. A pointed, slimy, tongue licked his neck.

"AHHHHHHHH!" he screamed, bursting from its grip. He ran like a bat out of hell as its laughter echoed behind him.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

Captain Black knocked on the shop's door, smiling as he watched trick-or-treaters run by in costumes familiar and new. It couldn't help but bring back some of his own days under cut sheets, plastic Jack-o'-Lantern in hand.

The door opened, and he was greeted by Catwoman holding a chocolate ball-filled popcorn bowl.

"Oh, it's only you," she said, stepping aside.

"Viper?" Black asked rhetorically, stepping in.

"No, it's Selina Kyle brought to life by a spell gone wrong," Viper said, rolling her eyes.

"Didn't think you were the type," the Section 13 director noted.

"Shows what you know, Mr. Secret Agent. Catwoman was my hero as a little girl," Viper answered, setting the bowl down on the counter.

"Catwoman is a villain, Viper," Captain Black said over his shoulder as he walked deeper into the shop.

He found Jackie setting out tea in the study. Uncle was at his desk while Tohru was at the paper-covered table that had become his workspace.

"Surprised you're letting Viper represent your shop," Black commented.

"Bah, thief useless for research, at least she lets us not be distracted by costumed children," Uncle answered, waving a hand. The old wizard never looked up from the tome he was studying. Black had a feeling he had been over that desk longer than was normal even for him.

"We said we would call you when we have leads," Jackie said, looking a bit beat himself.

"Well, you never really explained why you didn't want to take the mask to the Vault in the first place," Captain Black pointed out. Tohru and Jackie looked to Uncle, who shrugged, never looking up.

"Aiyah! It is not Uncle's fault explanation go over secret agent's head," Uncle griped. Tohru sighed and picked up the sutra-coated box that held the latest mask.

"We are trying to learn more about the spells that sealed the Shadowkhan Generals into these masks.

"We've been trying to keep the masks out of Jade's hands and off people's faces, but saving Jade is our true goal. My hope is that if we can't destroy the scar on her chi – that is, the Queen of the Shadowkhan – we can separate it from her and seal it into an object.

"We've made some progress. For one, I am now certain that the masks were created to house them; they weren't turned into masks like Shendu was into stone," Tohru explained. The sumo gestured to the stacks and some folders of notes spread about, along with another half finished sutra.

The mix of modern Japanese, scribbles in English, Chinese, and unknown archaic symbols made no sense to Black.

"Can you make a new mask?" Captain Black asked. It seemed to be the wrong question, as Tohru propped his elbows on the table and leaned his face into his hands. The table creaked under his weight.

"I don't know. They were used by the students of the Shadowbinding Sage to seal the Nine Shadowkhan Generals. The three students went their separate ways after their victory, one hiding the masks and making the Hana Fuda cards as his life's work. Another must have founded the temple we found the first tablet in and hidden the other two.

"The fate of the third disciple is not mentioned at all.

"There is little I have found on them, and nearly nothing on their master. The only thing other than this teacher is the description that he was as 'stalwart as a mountain.' I'm not even sure he did make the masks, some of the sources say he did, others say he attained them through a sacrifice.

"And even if I learn how to make a mask, it may require wood from a tree that no longer exists. The fresh liver of an animal long extinct. Or require a ritual performed in Japan, under a total eclipse, with a full-fledged samurai committing seppuku!

"And who's to say it would work like we want? It could just as easily trap Jade entirely, just like the Generals," Tohru sighed.

Uncle pushed back from his desk, standing. He gave a look at Jackie, who nodded back. As Uncle came up to Tohru, Jackie motioned Captain Black out into the hallway. Closing the door behind them, they made their way back into the shop, where Viper was lounging, eating one of the chocolate balls.

"It's getting to Tohru. A few days ago he was certain Jade was in trouble. It got better, but he thinks things may be moving in favor of the dark forces. That Shadowkhan from the future only made it worse," Jackie said.

Black nodded. Wisker had Plan B ready to go at anytime, but once it went off Black was certain it could get out of hand in a hurry. It was the panic button; hopefully Jackie would come up with a solution and be none the wiser.

Though Tohru's mask plan had merit, even if it sealed Jade. Black didn't want that, not even close. But Jade was always scary talented for her age. If her attitude had not been troubling, Black might have even tried to persuade Jackie into letting her onto the road for training.

He liked her – she was a great kid with a lot of potential. But that potential made her very dangerous, and if it was a choice between her and an "age of darkness" deal…

"Actually, there was a reason I came over Jackie.

"We've been monitoring the police reports as usual. And we've got some hits on a blue ninja girl trick-or-treating. Not nicely either – anyone gives her something too small, or a healthy snack, she comes back and throws rats in the poor guy's face," Black said. Jackie cringed, putting a hand to his face.

"Now she's just being a delinquent," Jackie groaned.

"Making time to trick-or-treat, and old school style with mean pranks. We should have seen this coming," Viper commented. The doorbell rang, and Jackie picked up the bowl before she got to her feet.

"Any chance we can track her?" Jackie asked.

"Are you kidding? Even if she wasn't popping up all over town, it's like 'Where's Waldo' out there. You think she's just going to walk right up to us?" Captain Black retorted as Jackie opened the door.

"Trick or treat!" Jade said on the doorstep, holding up her swollen black bag.

"Here you go, Jade," Jackie said, before closing the door. He turned back to Captain Black.

"I realize that, but-" Jackie said before pausing, Captain Black freezing along with him.

"JADE!" they yelled in tandem, bursting out the door. She was nowhere in sight, as small groups of trick-or-treaters meandered about the street.

"She was right here!" Jackie insisted, wide-eyed, pointing to the doorstep. Black stepped out onto the sidewalk looking around, not expecting to find anything.

"Should have known she would do that," Black admitted.

"Good or bad, Jade is Jade," Viper added, standing in the doorway.

In the back room, Tohru and Uncle cried out.

"The mask is gone!"

_Meanwhile:_

"HAHAHAAHA! Oh man that was classic! I still got it, you hear me?" Jade held her stomach as she bent over in laughter. She and Left stood on a fire escape not far from the shop, the Shadowkhan watching stoically as she cackled.

"They certainly failed to anticipate this action," he answered. That seemed to sober her up as she composed herself and sat down on the metal. Grabbing a fistful of sweets from her bag, she stuffed them into her mouth and began crunching.

Left seemed to recall you usually removed the wrappers first.

Jade's phone chose that moment to ring. Scowling, Jade swallowed the lump of sugar products and pulled the phone out.

"What?" she demanded. Her eyes flashed through the cloth.

"What? ! No, I didn't! Who? Here? Really? Hmm, well, well. Let me check," Jade shouted before visibly calming. Taking a deep breath she held a hand to her free ear.

Her pearly whites shone in the dark as she smiled.

**X X X**

"Oh how cute, matching masks," the middle-aged brunette woman said, before dropping a chocolate bar into Paco's held out bag. The door closed and the boy looked a bit downcast.

"El Toro, a luchadore's mask is gallant, not adorable," Paco said as they walked down the brownstone's stairs.

"People will think what they will, Paco. Some people think wrestling is fake," El Toro offered.

"But Viper said you should be scary for Halloween. Cute is not scary at all," Paco complained. A group of girls dressed as movie princesses ran by squealing, trailed by a pair of adult men, who looked put upon.

"Well, that was not scary," El Toro pointed out.

"El _Torrro_, those are girls!" Paco insisted, as if that explained everything. It was perhaps fortunate Jade wasn't here, El Toro thought – she would probably be trying to win a contest for scariest costume and rubbing Paco the wrong way.

Jade was a good girl, but she could be very inconsiderate.

And this trip was not going as planned. Rather than enjoying it with friends, they were flying solo and it was deteriorating into something awkward.

And Jackie was on edge, El Toro was sure of it. Jade gone, Viper here, something was going on and it involved the dark forces Jackie's family kept getting drawn into feuds with.

That they kept him out of the loop hurt; they were comrades, were they not? But he supposed it was their choice to make, and it was not like he wanted distractions right now.

Soon his honor as a luchadore would truly be redeemed. This time, when he won the championship belt it would be without any magic, only the triumph of one luchadore over another. The thought brought a smile to his face, and a new resolve to try and turn the evening around.

They had come to a park where a small holiday fair was playing out. El Toro saw something that caught is eye.

"How about an authentic American hot dog?" El Toro suggested, smiling and pointing at a vendor with jack-o-lantern decorations on his cart, and dressed in a hot dog costume.

'That sounded better in my head,' El Toro thought as he held the smile.

"Si," Paco acquiesced dully.

"Excellente, no good having only junk food tonight," El Toro patted him on the shoulder and walked toward the cart. Paco made to follow before stopping as a trio of boys walked by dressed as a classic vampire complete with bloody mouth, a rotting zombie, and a shark monster.

Stopping in his tracks, Paco pulled his mask off. Holding it in front of him, he tried to see it as a scary mask worthy of Halloween. He couldn't. But he had a back up plan now.

Reaching into his candy bag, he pulled the "most scary mask" from Jade's family shop out from under the sweets, dropping his own mask in its place.

"Even Yade would call you scary," he said to the fierce monster face. In the low lighting of this spot in the park it seemed to have winked at him. Turning it around, he started to move it to his face.

"Paco! I told you to stay- Paco, what is that mask?" El Toro demanded, returning with a fully loaded hot dog in hand.

**X X X**

"Pesos! Jade leaves Mexican money to just show off! Dark forces make her bad even worse!" Uncle ranted, waving a fist full of the paper currency. Tohru had opened the well-warded box only to find it full of coins and banknotes.

"You really shouldn't have touched those, we could have checked for fingerprints," Agent Wisker said as he jotted down notes on a pad. Captain Black left his agent to Uncle's rant, turning his attention to Jackie and Tohru.

"This is my fault, I should have insisted we take it to the Vault. The Dark Hand has broken in here before; that we could keep Jade out…" Black trailed off. Tohru looked down at the empty box in his hand intently.

"I don't understand, I knew the risks. Sensei or I were always in the room with the box close at hand. Jade can't enter on her own, so it would have to be Hak Foo or the Enforcers," Tohru said.

"Not necessarily. Jade has money, she could have hired someone to steal the mask," Jackie speculated. The shop phone rang; Viper, being the only one unengaged, picked it up.

"Uncle's Rare Finds… Oh, how's it going masked man? What? Are you kidding?" Viper answered, before her eyes widened in disbelief.

**X X X**

El Toro stood on a sidewalk removed from the noise of the street fair, only the occasional band of costumed children running by. Behind him, Paco sat forlorn, and maskless, on a bench as El Toro Fuerte talked in the phone booth.

"Si, Paco took it. He says he left all his money as payment, but I am guessing it is not nearly enough for an antique mask. Creepy, but finely crafted," El Toro told her as he examined the orange mask with its purple mane.

"DON'T PUT IT ON!" Viper yelled through the line. The wrestler jerked his hand away at the ear-piercing shout.

"Um, it is not damaged. There is no need to worry – I will bring Paco back to return it right away. Even if he tried to pay, you never take things without permission, especially from friends," El Toro told her calmly.

"What? No! I mean, yes, get it back here! El Toro, that mask is an Oni mask," Viper told him. He could hear some kind of commotion on the other end on the line.

"Oni?" he asked. It sounded like there was a smack, and then a megaphone was going off in his ear.

"AIYAAAAAH! MASK IS EVIL, _VERRRY_ BAD DARK SPIRITS! IT POSSESSES ANYONE WHO WEARS IT! WITHOUT MAGICAL PROTECTION DARK FORCES WILL SEEK TO REGAIN IT!

"NOTHING GOOD COMES FROM _HALLOOOOOWEEN!_" Uncle bellowed, his voice rattling the booth.

"EL TORO!" Paco yelled. The luchadore turned in the cramped booth, seeing Finn holding Paco in a hold, while Hak Foo stood next to them.

"Dark forces here, have Paco, sorry have to go!" El Toro spoke quickly into the phone, letting it drop.

"Wait, where are you! ?" Uncle yelled as the phone dangled. El Toro stepped out of the booth, pulling off his jacket and tucking the mask under his belt.

"You want the mask?" he asked.

"It will be mine," Hak Foo said.

"Just hand it over and the sidekick walks," Finn added.

"Are you men or snakes, threatening a boy rather than fighting a man?" El Toro asked. Finn snorted, but Hak Foo glanced to the mask and Paco.

"If we let him go, will you vow as a warrior to surrender the mask when I beat you?" Hak Foo asked. El Toro touched a fingertip to the mask as he looked at Paco. His instinct was to immediately agree, but these were bad men who would help demons run wild in the world. And this mask was very important, El Toro thought. But regardless…

"No El Toro, it is my fault for taking the mask!" Paco shouted, struggling against Finn.

"Pipe down mini-him!" Finn barked. It settled the matter for El Toro, who gave a brief smile to his protégée.

"I will not give them the mask Paco, because I will win this fight! Let Paco go first, then we fight!" El Toro said, tossing his jacket aside.

"This is not how we-oof!" Finn protested as Hak Foo hit him over the head.

"Otter cracks oyster," Hak Foo declared, as Finn collapsed and Paco came free to run behind El Toro. The wrestler handed the mask to Paco, stepping forward and stretching a bit as he went.

"Tiger prepares to devour bear," Hak Foo smiled, cracking his knuckles.

"It is against the lucha way to fight outside the ring, but then, I suppose you are no luchadore," El Toro commented, falling into his stance.

"No, I am a real warrior. Angry Crow takes flight!" Hak Foo yelled as the fight started.

"Bee stings bear!" Hak Foo yelled, dodging to strike El Toro on the arm.

"Butterfly evades club!" the mercenary yelled, leaping away from a strike.

"Gazelle leaps over bull, and treads his shoulder!" Hak Foo yelled as he jumped onto El Toro's shoulder and propelled himself off. El Toro recovered without falling, turning to face Hak Foo again. Grinning, Hak motioned El Toro to come with his fingers. El Toro accepted the invitation.

"Monkey seizes snake!" Hak Foo shouted as he grabbed the charging wrestler's arm. In the next moment, El Toro was flat on his back.

"Cobra- what? !" Hak Foo planted a boot on his opponent's chest, before catching movement in the corner of his eye. Paco was running.

"Cat pursues cheese-thieving mouse!" the spiky-haired mercenary yelled, taking off after the boy. He overtook Paco just as the boy looked back to see him bearing down on him.

"Cat takes prize!" Hak Foo yelled, ripping the mask from Paco's hand and kicking him aside in one motion.

Hak Foo brushed the hair from the mask, finally getting a good look at it.

"The fiercest face yet, and at last in the hands of one worthy of its power. I will truly become invincible with this power, and the world will-" Hak Foo said, raising the mask towards his face. Only for it to be jerked away as El Toro grabbed his hand and punched him in the face.

"Not worthy of a luchadore, but that was for hitting a child!" El Toro said, letting the mask fall to throw himself at Hak Foo while the other was stunned.

Paco saw the mask lying there as the two men fought and knew he had to get it away. El Toro had promised, but _he_ hadn't. The mask had to be dark magic, and it was now nearly falling into the hands of the dark forces. Because of him.

Scooping it up, he ran across the street.

"Oh, this is just getting embarrassing," a strange voice echoed through the alley. Paco stopped at the sound of a thud. El Toro's eyes rolled up before he fell, stunned, a blue man in black standing behind him, sword raised, clearly having hit the wrestler over the head with the pommel.

"Cheating!" Paco yelled in protest at seeing his hero dispatched in such a manner.

"Bad guys," the voice supplied – it wasn't the blue man. Paco watched as a child stepped out from behind the man's legs, her face concealed by a hood. Red eyes flashed in the shadow covering its face; he stood his ground.

"Well, isn't this something? I had-" the dark girl began.

"You should not have interfered," Hak Foo seethed.

"And you should have put the mask on instead of talking about wearing it. Right?" she shot back.

"Mini demon?" Paco wondered. Jade pulled her hood back, showing her hair pulled back into a bun and her eyes still covered by the blindfold.

"A girl?" Paco continued, increasingly surprised and confused. The words seemed to get her attention, as she turned to glare at him.

"Don't bother, he's no threat of any kind, just a towel boy," she said, looking past him. El Toro's eyes cracked open, and widened at what he saw.

"Paco, behind you!" El Toro yelled, getting to his feet quickly. Any action was defeated as a blue arm wrapped around his chest and a sword edge was pressed against the wrestler's throat.

"El Toro!" Paco called, before realizing _he_ had been warned. Looking over his shoulder, he jumped away from the Shadowkhan that had been behind him, who was returning his dual swords to their sheaths.

"Was that a squeak? Someone needs to oil the sidekick!" Jade laughed. El Toro turned his attention to the child monster, and realized it with those words.

"Yade?" he asked tentatively.

"What? Oh my, you are more than muscle, very good! But you went and ruined my chance at a dramatic reveal. I'd think a wrestler would appreciate a bit of hammy dramatics more," Jade chuckled to herself.

"Uh, boss?" Finn spoke up.

"Not now lackey, I'm being dramatic," Jade waved him off.

"Yade? But Senor Uncle said you were in Hong Kong," Paco protested. She turned her head to regard him with contempt.

"Well obviously he lied. In case you haven't figured it out, I'm the dark force they are trying to deal with. And not doing a very good job, I might point out. What can I say, those guys just aren't the same without me," Jade shrugged with a sigh.

"Then why did they have the mask you seem to want?" El Toro demanded.

"…It's easy to forget you're one of the smart ones. Having the whole big guy thing going and the stupid mask, it really is easy to let that slip my mind.

"You know El Toro, out of all the people to get one of the Talismans, you are the one I think who had the best head on your shoulders. Others might have used it as some kind of superhero, or to become a criminal with an edge.

"But you, you used it to become the Pele of lucha libre! You had the ultimate steroid, and not only was it free of any nasty side effects, the officials could test you all they wanted and never figure it out. That whole 'never remove your mask' line was a perfect cover to ensure you always had access to the talisman.

"Really, you had quite the setup going, I'm a bit sorry we busted it up, looking back," Jade admitted. Paco began to edge away as everyone focused on El Toro and Jade.

"You called me a cheater back then, and you were right. It seems whatever happened to you has turned your head upside down. I regret my dishonorable past," El Toro answered, trying to not watch Paco edge towards safety.

"Regret? You haven't done much to show it. Even if you are seen as over the hill now, you're still looked up to as having been the greatest ever in your so-called sport," Jade laughed.

"So-called! ?" El Toro protested.

"Oh please, wrestling is fake and we both know it!" Jade shot back.

"Cat pounces on sneaking rat!" Hak Foo yelled, seeing Paco making his way down the sidewalk. The mercenary sprang into action. So did El Toro. Grabbing Right's hand over the hilt, he pushed the sword away from his neck and in moments the ninja was propelled through the air. He twisted to land on his feet, right on top of Hak Foo's shoulders; both warriors fell to the ground.

Paco broke into a run but was tackled to the ground. El Toro charged towards Jade, who grinned, holding out a fan, and started to chant. Just as he was about to grab her, she snapped the fan shut. Shadows sprang from the fan to fly at El Toro, wrapping around his arms and ankles, pulling them tight. The man swayed, but to his credit kept his precarious balance after a bit of hopping.

"Where you going kid? Show's just starting," Finn said, as he got up, holding Paco off the ground.

"Monologuing, I really need to stop doing that. Well done Finn, you were able to capture a stupid kid," Jade said. She smacked El Toro over the head with her other closed fan. He flinched and looked at the small girl in surprise.

Jade for her part was perturbed it hadn't knocked him over or out – she just wasn't as strong as she used to be!

"Guys! This kid's like a monkey!" Finn protested as Paco kicked at his stomach and tried to punch the Enforcer from the awkward angle.

"Oh please he's just a…" Jade trailed off as Paco smacked Finn in the face with the mask. Jade blinked behind the blindfold, and Hak Foo's left eye twitched.

"Lion… Lion… Roars in fury! RAAAAHHHH!" Hak Foo roared.

"That's the second time that's happened," Jade noted. Some hot air hit her ear, and she turned to see Hak Foo seething at her.

"I WANTED THAT MASK! You are not keeping your promise for power!" he yelled at her.

"Oh yes I am! You're the idiot who spends five minutes talking about putting a mask on instead of just doing it!" Jade shot back, rising up to his eye level. They glared at each other intently.

"Yade," Paco said, walking up to her. Finn stood on his own, poking at the orange mask on his face, looking a little befuddled. Jade turned her attention to Paco, scowling.

"What do you want, the mask has been set, so you can just run along now," Jade motioned him down the street with her fan.

"You are fighting Yackie. But you are his biggest fan!" Paco protested.

"Heh, I suppose a towel boy like you wouldn't understand. I'm past looking up to Jackie; I'm looking to be better than him. In fact I always was, it's just age and a lack of opportunity didn't let me make that clear.

"Not like you, towel boy. I don't know why El Toro puts up with you trailing after him like some lost puppy. Guess he likes getting his ego stroked – it's not like you're good for anything else.

"I should be glad you didn't get that mask on yourself, I mean what a waste of a General that would be!" Jade laughed. Paco trembled with pent up emotion, glaring at Jade.

'This, this is not the Yade I know!' he thought furiously as the demon smirked down at him.

"So, 'darkness within', right?" Finn spoke up. Jade made to answer, still looking at a shaking with emotion Paco, when oncoming headlights lit up the alley.

"Well, the cavalry is here. No need for a battle when the prize has been won. Shadow Hand, withdraw," Jade commanded, pulling her hood back up. Right yanked Finn into a shadow and the two vanished. Hak Foo walked up to the struggling El Toro.

"You cost me a mask, so I will take one as a consolation prize," Hak said as he grabbed the red cloth.

"Don't touch the mask," El Toro growled. Hak Foo grinned, putting a hand on the bound man's chest.

"Beaver topples mighty oak," Hak Foo said, pushing the wrestler back. The mask came away, leaving the bald man to fall to the street.

"That was needless and petty. But then again, bad guys," Jade remarked thoughtfully. As brakes screeched to a halt, she snapped her fingers, dissolving El Toro's bonds. Left put a hand on Hak Foo's shoulder and along with Jade the three sank into the shadows and were gone.

"My mask," El Toro groaned, putting a hand to his bare face as he sat up on the pavement.

"Paco, El Toro, are you alright?" Jackie called, running onto the scene with agents and Uncle in tow.

"Not quite, my friend. And it seems you have been keeping quite a bit in the dark, si?" El Toro said, looking up at the archaeologist.

_Windsor Mansion, Morning:_

The Shadow Hand had assembled in the conference room awaiting Jade, all in their usual positions. Though Finn was putting on airs, smirking as one of his new Shadowkhan squids stood – for lack of a better term – behind him, its four tentacles drifting in the air. He was seemingly oblivious to his cohorts' discomforted glances at the strangest breed of Shadowkhan yet.

The double doors were opened by Right, letting Jade float through; he fell into place just behind her, leaving Left to close the door. Jade stopped suddenly, eyeing a thin line of sunlight cutting across the room over her path. Pulling up her hood, she passed through it swiftly. Reaching her throne, she lowered herself to sit down, leaving her hood up.

"Well, I'd say it was a most excellent evening. Lots of candy, fun, payback, and a mask too. Best Halloween ever!" Jade cheered, clapping her hands together.

"Don't say anything about the mask Hak Foo," Jade snapped. The mercenary paused, seeming to have been about to get to his feet. Instead he settled back down, looking surprised.

"I have important announcements, so pay attention," she addressed them all.

"As you all know, Finn, by some strange dance steps of fate, has a mask now and control over an army. Meanwhile, our Operation Blazing Wolf has hit a wall.

"We are going to be splitting up for the time being. Blankman has volunteered to go to Mexico City to set matters straight with the local mobsters and pledged to locate the 'well of darkness' described in the riddle in short order.

"I want that tablet _before_ Jackie's there to fight for it. So I'm going with you – even if I can't help find it, at least we will be able to immediately deal with this 'son of the sun' and claim the Teachings.

"Left, you will be coming with me; Ratso and Chow too.

"I need the powers of the Teachings – I won't be my usual easygoing self if that tablet ends up on Uncle's shelf," Jade growled at them.

"Yes Highness," Ratso and Chow answered. Left merely nodded his head, while closing his eyes.

"I'm not interested if there's no mask involved," Hak Foo stated, putting a fist down on the table.

"Good, because you're staying here," Jade said. She turned her attention to Finn, who straightened up as her eyes flashed red through the shadow of her hood.

"Finn, you have shown yourself to be a leader of sorts in the past. You even cut loose from Valmont to try and make a name for yourself once.

"I have decided to give you a shot at the Executive Deputy Henchman position, which I just made. It's yours if you can prove yourself while I'm gone," Jade explained. Finn grinned at the prospect of promotion, and hopefully power.

"Watta need me to do boss?" he asked, eagerly leaning forward.

"Simple, address Hak Foo's recurring complaint. Get back the mask of Ozeki and get it on Hak Foo," Jade answered matter-of-factly.

"How do I do that?" Finn wondered.

"How should I know! ? It's your test, you figure it out. You have Hak Foo and Right under your command temporarily, and any resources Blankman green lights before we go.

"Now, I need to stock up before the traveling spell. We leave at noon, so step to it," Jade barked, jumping down from her chair. Right pulled the curtains entirely closed, letting her walk smoothly across and out of the room.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

"So let me make sure I have this straight, yes? There are eight – formerly nine – of these Oni masks, each containing a tribe of Shadowkhan and its General. Whoever puts on a mask gets demonic abilities and control over that tribe. If all masks are worn at the same time, they will be able to cover the entire world in shadows.

"Yade has been corrupted by shadow magic from back when you were fighting Senor Shendu. You thought she was cured, but the dark wizard accidentally changed her back into a Shadowkhan when trying to summon normal Shadowkhan.

"Now Yade is after these masks and wants revenge on you because her mind is on backwards?" El Toro, asked pouring himself a cup of coffee. With the exception of Paco, the heroes stood or sat about the kitchen.

"Yes, and there are also the Teachings of Eternal Shadow. The tablets aren't as dangerous as the masks since they only hold spells rather than armies. But Jade obtaining more dark magic will make it even harder to contain her so we can cure her," Tohru said.

"Have you tried using the Monkey talisman? Change her into human?" El Toro asked.

"Aiyah! You think Uncle not think of that? !

"Monkey talisman only changes physical form. Turn human Jade into monkey, still Jade only as a monkey. Turn evil Shadowkhan Jade into human, she still evil Shadowkhan inside. And magic creature – Uncle cannot be sure how it would affect her, or even if it would work for long.

"Is last resort," Uncle huffed.

"Not to mention using any talisman against Jade is risky; she nicks it, and the Shadow Hand gets that much more dangerous," Viper pointed out as she put a leash on an excited Scruffy.

"So, how does one fight evil Yade?" El Toro asked.

"Good question. Better question – why are you wearing a Spiderman mask?" Viper asked. El Toro scratched at the uncomfortable cheap mask before answering.

"Had I been defeated in honorable combat, I would be obliged to show my face to the world in shame of my defeat. But Senor Foo did not win our fight, so I wear this until I win my mask back," El Toro answered.

As the argument degenerated into the usual Jackie-Uncle "we do not need help" speech, Viper's attention drifted to the muted TV. Apparently, Jade's night on the town was the top Halloween-related story. A gang of juvenile delinquents, they were calling it.

'Oh, if only they knew,' Viper laughed to herself as she walked the dog to the front door.

_Shortly:_

She had taken the dog to the edge of Chinatown, the usual stopping point before they headed back. However, something felt… off.

"Eagle swoops down on snake!" Hak Foo yelled as he hurled down from somewhere. Viper was already moving, scooping up the dog and leaving Hak Foo's feet to impact bare cement, cracking it.

"Lion charges nimble gazelle!" he yelled, getting up from the crouch and coming at Viper.

"Sidewinder kick!" he bellowed, sweeping at her with a kick. Viper evaded it barely, and tossed the barking dog into his face. Scruffy bit down on his ear and set his paws into what footholds he could find.

"Cat scratches annoying flea!" Hak Foo roared, grabbing the immortal dog. Viper's kick took him right in the gut, making him bend nearly in half. Scruffy let go to fall to the pavement. Viper hit him with an overhead strike before he could recover.

"Good dog," she said as Hak Foo crumpled. Scruffy barked, happily wagging his tail.

"Possum tail sweep!" Hak Foo roared, suddenly in motion, spinning on the ground and kicking Viper's feet out from under her. Her arms caught her before her face hit the ground.

"Bird gets worm!" Hak Foo brought his heel down on the pavement as Viper barely rolled clear.

"Cougar pounces on downed gazelle!" Hak Foo dove after her. Viper managed to seize the far heavier man's arms and rolled enough to redirect him, sending him flying over her.

Springing to her feet, knowing better than to think it would stop that tank, she realized they had ended up on the curb, next to some trashcans.

"Thieves – all evasion, no fight," Hak Foo grumbled, getting up.

"Huh?" He muttered, glancing around for Viper. Then darkness came over him, pressing his arms down.

"The perfect place to put trash," Viper mused as Hak Foo's muffled rage was heard through the trashcan. Apparently he heard her, since he charged blind at the thief. Smiling, Viper sidestepped, letting him run into the wall and get knocked on his back.

"Thank you, Jackie Chan," Viper commented.

"Don't run, or the puppy gets it," a new voice called out. Turning away from the struggling mercenary, Viper saw what had happened to Scruffy.

He was being held securely by a Shadowkhan, one of Jade's bodyguards – the one with the torn sleeves and a katana in his belt. Like back in the desert, he wasn't wearing a mask.

"How dumb are you?" Viper asked.

"Not in the least, human. I am Right, hand and vassal to Joo Heike Hisui, and she has dwindling patience for foolishness," Right smiled. It was not pleasant, the way those pointed teeth split an oddly handsome face.

"Really, cause only an idiot would threaten a hostage we both know is immortal," Viper rolled her eyes. Scruffy barked as if in agreement.

"Ah, but you have forgotten the most important fact about the sons of the shadows," he chided, shaking his head condescendingly.

"That you guys go poof, and hate this?" Viper said, pulling out an onion.

"I thought something smelled foul, but I thought it was just you," he laughed.

Tentacles shot out of her blind spot, wrapping around her arms, jerking them straight and squeezing them. The onion fell from her hands as she cried out in surprise and pain. Still more tentacles seized her ankles, neck, torso and shoulders as she was jerked off the ground.

"The most important fact is that we are many!" Right laughed as the trio of Squid Khan cocooned her.

"Eagle bursts from egg!" Hak Foo shouted as the metal cylinder practically exploded away from him.

"Well done boys, from throwing a fight to defeat by monologue. And we even have a messenger handy," Finn clapped, stepping out from a nearby alley, looking pleased with himself.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

"I see, it is very good I stopped Paco from putting on the mask," El Toro muttered, looking to where the boy sat at the table, having joined them.

"Yes, I don't want think about what would happen with the two of them controlling Shadowkhan with the dark forces corrupting them. That's why I didn't think we should involve you too," Jackie answered.

"Well at the least the dark wizard is locked up, and so is Senor Shendu. You should have called sooner, I could have helped," El Toro insisted.

"Bah, one thief in Uncle's shop is bad enough!" Uncle objected from somewhere deeper in the shop.

"I am a wrestler, just because you wear a mask doesn't make you a thief!" an exasperated El Toro called back.

"That right, it can also mean you are possessed by _Onnniiii!_" Uncle called back.

"You have the patience of a saint, amigo," El Toro said to Jackie, who looked at the wall clock.

"Speaking of thieves, Viper should be back by now," Jackie noted. As if on cue, Scruffy's barking came through the door.

"Here she is," Paco added needlessly. Sure enough, Scruffy ran into the kitchen, Tohru following after from the main shop. The small grey dog ran up to Jackie and immediately began scratching his legs, and still barking.

"Hey! Scruffy what has gotten into…" Jackie's objection trailed off when he saw a large piece of paper stuffed under the dog's collar. The dog picked up on the attention and calmed down, letting him lean down to pull the paper free. Unfolding it, Jackie read it aloud.

"We have the thief. Wait for our call. Have the Sumo mask ready for a trade. Coming to you from the road to success, Finn," Jackie read. He looked up at El Toro, who lifted his hands to crack his knuckles.

"Looks like we might need your help after all," Jackie admitted.

"This rematch will prove El Toro Fuerte is the greatest!" Paco exclaimed, raising a fist into the air. Despite the grave turn of events, Tohru and Jackie smiled at the display.

_Shadow Hand HQ:_

"Hey Jackie," Viper spoke into the cell phone held in front of her face. The thief was hanging upside down by a chain, in a bear-sized steel cage, feet handcuffed together, and wearing a straitjacket. A rope was tied around her neck, the other end knotted through a loop on the cage floor. If she tried to swing around, the rope would begin to choke her.

Jade had insisted on thorough preparations in the event of capturing a hero.

Finn pulled his arm back through the bars and spoke into it.

"There's your proof, Chan. I've got your girl and you have a couple things my boss wants. But I'll settle for one. The sumo mask Captain Black was rocking. Bring it to the Winky Louie construction site on East Sunset Row. I'll have the thief – give me the mask, you get her back. We all go home and go to bed no worse for wear.

"What? You don't trust me? Why that's so hurtful, since you have no choice.

"…

"Much better, see how much easier things are when we all get along? Midnight, be there with the mask. If you're not, I start cutting her to mark the time.

"Until then," Finn grinned, flashing fangs. He flipped the phone closed, then blinked several times as if puzzled.

"Cut?" he muttered.

"Unexpected side effects?" Viper asked, smirking. The redness in her face detracted from any intimidation factor.

"Nothing I can't handle. Why else would Jade put me in charge like this?" he shot back. Viper snickered, glancing away from him.

"What's so funny! ?" he demanded, kicking a bar. It bent slightly, raising a dull ring.

"You, a grown man, boasting about having the approval – the _tentative_ approval – of a little girl," she said, smirking. That seemed to hit him, but the grin that split his face said, 'Aha! But I am ready for this!'

"_Little girl_ just like Chan's just an _archaeologist_. I've dealt with archaeologists, and I've even dealt with plenty of guys who knew karate and all that. Nothing like Chan, and no little girls like that, anywhere. Cops and perps both learn to see between the lines other people prefer to overlook. But I guess a thief who doesn't get her hands dirty wouldn't have that.

"Especially now – I mean really, you go from master thief to sidekick, and she goes from sidekick to magical crime boss. If this was a movie, I might actually pay to see it! Wonder who they would cast as me?" Finn wondered as he went off on a tangent.

Viper looked at him, as he no doubt thought about which major actor had the looks to properly portray him.

"Exactly what do you get out of this?" Viper asked finally. Finn broke from his thoughts and looked at her, puzzled.

"A whole lot of money, duh. What's Section 13 paying you for your trouble? Answer, not as much as we get paid," Finn laughed.

"No, I mean the mask wearing thing.

"I could see with the Talismans – superpowers with no real drawbacks. And I hear Daolon Wong enslaved you for his little animal hunt. But, unleashing genocidal would-be tyrants, or putting a demon on your _face_? However you look at it, doesn't seem like a good investment future.

"I mean do you honestly want to live with that thing on forever?" Viper asked. Finn frowned, stepping up to the bars, running a finger along his cheek.

"It means power. I have an army at my command and the strength to be a real power player. I guess you wouldn't understand, you lone wolf thieves have no ambition," Finn answered.

"For how long?" Viper pressed.

"How long what?" Finn snapped.

"You weren't planning on that last threat, but it slipped out. From the mask? That's an ancient evil you're wearing. How long before you stop wearing the mask and it starts wearing you?" Viper asked solemnly. Fists pounded against the bars and Finn bared his teeth in a snarl. Viper grinned, and he deflated.

Stepping back, he pulled himself up and straightened his jacket.

"I am in control here. And when I get that mask on Hak Foo's face, I will show everyone that Finn is not someone you can just dismiss. Right!" Finn stated, before calling out. The unmasked ninja stepped out from one of the darkened walls. He gave no sign of acknowledgement as Finn turned to face him.

"Keep on an eye on her until it's time. Don't leave her alone even for a minute; no one is pulling a James Bond on my watch. Sorry to leave you hanging, hahahaha!" Finn laughed at his own joke as he unlocked the door on the other side of the room and closed it behind him.

Under the light of the bare light bulb overhead, Right stepped up to the cage, his nose practically touching the bars, and fixed his eyes on Viper's face.

"Keep staring and I might charge you for looking," Viper quipped. He made no response. Viper resisted the urge to fidget under that look. She hoped he would not stay like that the whole time.

He did.

**X X X**

"'Wearing me'; doesn't know what she's talking about. Chow was an exception, that jerk was some higher up Oni. And I'm much stronger in the head than Ratso," Finn muttered as he walked down the mansion's halls.

It was well lit for once. Ever since the boss had come to she had been keeping the lights down. Guess it was her first time really laid up; he recalled his had been a busted wing.

Anyway, just now he was grateful for the lights in her absence, this estate got a little creepy in the low lighting. Of course, as a seasoned criminal he wasn't afraid of the dark, he just had a healthy wariness, knowing better than most just what might be lurking in it.

"I have the power now too," he told himself, stopping to look at a small round mirror resting over a tiny three-legged table with some ugly bird sculpture on it.

"Pull this off Finn, and it will be the last time you get treated like just another piece of hired help," he told himself. He grinned, appreciating how intimidating it looked. Then his reflection spoke to him, its eyes flaring red.

"Ah, the ambition for promotion, good, I would hate to be attached to someone too humble," it said in a deep, somewhat wavering voice.

"Wha! ?" Finn recoiled from the mirror, his reflection unchanged.

"Oh, sorry. Couldn't resist a bit of an entrance. I am called Kuro, and I would like to ask you a favor," Kuro introduced himself, putting a hand to his chest and giving a very slight bow.

"Uh, Finn. What can I do you for?" Finn asked, straightening up, but not getting any closer to the mirror.

"I would like to borrow your body's helm for a time. I'm not strong enough to seize it utterly for any decent length, and I simply must satisfy my curiosity on this new development," he said, sounding mirthful at the last words.

"Uh, can I get a guarantee you will give it back?" Finn asked, tugging at his collar, determined not to come off as nervous.

"Of course," Kuro grinned.

**X X X**

Kuroichi flexed the human's hands, enjoying the sensation as he walked through the Shadow Hand castle. It had been so long since he had walked, even by proxy. This body was weak even with his chi leaking into it, but oh so much better than being confined to impotent wood.

He glanced at the Vassal tailing him and gave him a grin. The young one's hand drifted toward his sword's hilt, prompting a laugh from the General. He must have sharp senses to abandon his post to investigate like this.

Turning away, the General resumed his walk, hands clasped behind Finn's back. He must be out of practice with faces – he had been genuinely pleased seeing that young shadow.

"Once more I find myself in the midst of interesting times. I wonder – will they raise me to new heights, or be my end?" he wondered, smiling.

At last he reached a parlor that had been stripped of furniture; this was where Finn informed him she had made the traveling spell. Kuro knelt on the ornate green carpet, sensing the nexus point of the magic she had woven. Planting his hands, he pressed his brow to the soft material and breathed in the scent of her magic.

Rearing back up he exhaled sharply, eyes closed. If he were in his proper form this grin would stretch from ear to ear.

"Ah, yes! YES! So this is what it was! This is how men served women for ages! The Elders were nothing even in my youth – this under ripe girl overflows with life! Hahahaha!

"Magnificent, and how foolish of the others to not take the time to notice. But curiosity beckons, and report is utterly inadequate. Especially when fate provides so readily," he chuckled as Right watched from the doorway.

Pressing his right hand down on the old nexus point, he chanted a spell while spreading his fingers to form a right angle.

"Xong xai xin," he finished, pulling his hand up and turning it over. Shadows danced in his palm like a small black fire. Getting to his feet, he walked over to the fireplace, and to the mirror hanging above it.

Holding out the shadow-filled hand, he took a deep breath and blew. The shadows billowed out and struck the mirror. They went from smoke to something like oil, spreading across the glass and around the iron frame until it was all slick and black.

"General Jade, I, General Kuroichi, call on you," he said. A ripple passed over the mirror from center to edge. A pair of red eyes appeared, glancing about suspiciously.

"How did you get control of Finn?" she asked as if from a great distance.

"By asking permission; I'm odd that way. But come now, it's just a communication spell, no need to hold back," he assured her. The eyes closed, and for a moment he was worried she would ignore the summons. Then the mirror started to bubble as a bump pressed out from its center.

As it grew out, the bump became more defined, the shape of the face and even the blindfold she wore becoming defined. When it looked like someone had dyed the Shadowkhan girl's head black and mounted it on the wall, the eyes glowed to red life in her head.

"This is a bit weird," she admitted, glancing around.

"I remember my first time, but once you get past that, the satisfaction of power only grows. I envy you being able to explore the higher mysteries of shadow magic. The Elders and Tarakudo were both stingy in that regard," the General told her.

"What do you want, General? I assigned Finn to retrieve Ozeki, not hand over the steering wheel to you," Jade pressed.

"Never fear, he already has his plan in motion, and there are even parts of it I approve of.

"As for your first question, I wanted to talk with you, the first Shadowkhan female since the Rebellion," he said, bowing his head slightly.

"Ah yes, I've been hearing bits of that. I'm guessing you were ruled by girl power, but Tarakudo killed it to make himself the biggest bad in the Shadowkhan. And since you are a General of his, you helped him do it," Jade stated.

"I am very unashamed of my role in the Matriarchy's fall. But nor am I fully loyal to Tarakudo. My loyalty is, and always has been, to the Shadowkhan race above all else.

"It's true we were ruled by women, but they had no power. The Elders were barren hags that clung to power through the inertia of history and the undying loyalty of a magnificent man, and a handful of blindly faithful fanatics.

"If they were ever fit to rule, that day was long past. Tarakudo promised us a new era, and given the alternative I saw him as the best choice for the Shadowkhan.

"But he failed to deliver, obviously. And now I find a new alternative in you," he smiled at her. Jade smiled, but he didn't think it reached her eyes.

"For once, a history lesson I'm interested in. What do you mean they were unfit to rule?" Jade demanded.

"Females are the life-givers. They raise up Drones into Vassals, who can then rise through the hierarchy, possibly as far as King. You have already done this with your two Vassals.

"The Elders were too old to even do that! We had to acquire human souls to raise Drones into Vassals because the Elders were so barren. Which, since that is how we got Tarakudo, was really a karmic retribution on them," he mused.

Jade's eyes widened behind the cloth as she turned to look at Right, who was rubbing his chin, taking this in. But she had a feeling this guy wasn't telling her everything.

"So seeing you, I see a potential for a new era beyond what Tarakudo promised us," Kuro said, rolling a bit on his feet.

"Well, are you pledging yourself to me?" she asked.

"Oh no. I have hardly begun to weigh my options," he chuckled.

"But you said-" Jade blurted.

"Yes, but Tarakudo may still be the better leader. You don't have to be in charge to start up the oven. I imagine Ikazuki would suggest the sort of set up the mortals used to have. Me, I think you would be a bit wasted in that role," he admitted.

Jade growled, baring her teeth.

"Well, you will have to prove that since my fellow Generals have had very bad experiences with female leadership.

"What regrets we have about the rebellion aren't for the Elders, you should know. It is Hiruzen we regret betraying. The Eldest and Greatest of Shadowkhan, he was the one I feared when pledging myself to Tarakudo.

"Why you ask? Because he was horrifically skilled? Because he rivaled Tarakudo as a sorcerer? Because he was the eldest of our warrior race by a ridiculously wide margin?

"No. Because in the end Tarakudo is a samurai, and Hiruzen was a ninja. Ninja don't make last stands, that is a samurai ideal. Ninja make last stands to divert your attention from the actual plan.

"I waited long and warily, while others reveled, for whatever gambit was worth Hiruzen's life to rear its head and cast us down," Kuro recalled, looking solemn.

"What was it?" Jade asked curious.

"Nothing. Nothing happened in all the years between Tarakudo becoming Lord of All Oni and our defeat. I could only conclude that whatever the Eldest had planned was a failure, or he had truly given up. It did not make sense but it was the only explanation.

"…

"You should be dead, child," he finally said.

"Blunt much?" Jade asked, getting tired of this monologuing.

"There are ways for a man to become a Shadowkhan – Tarakudo, of course, and many others unworthy of remembrance. But slapping the royal seal on your flesh? It would make a man only little more than a weak Drone overcome with animal rage.

"A mortal woman would die as surely as if she was draining a saucer of poison," Kuro reported grimly, stepping closer to the mirror. Jade blinked, and scowled at him.

"What are you trying to say? I am tired of you monologuing like a plot device!" Jade growled.

"Why so angry? I am only voicing what you have long known, and the world has never hesitated to deny," Kuro answered calmly.

"And what is that?" Jade demanded.

"That you are different, special, chosen.

"We will talk more later," he smiled, ending the spell with a wave of his hand.

Jade opened her mouth to say, or more likely yell, something, but it was nothing but bubbles on the mirror as her face receded. With the last bubble popping, the black coating dried swiftly, cracking and flaking away. Kuro turned his back on the mirror as it returned to normal and walked to one of the windows, throwing back the curtains. The sun was setting over the ocean; he opened the windows, slowly letting the sea breeze hit him and stir the stale air of the mansion.

"How glorious, such beauty heralding the coming of darkness. Almost makes me wish I had followed up on that Haiku stuff. Almost; now mortal, you can have the helm back," Kuro said, closing his eyes. The eyes opened, the demonic glow gone.

"Wow, talk about a head trip," Finn muttered, massaging his unfamiliar scalp with one hand. Closing the window, he rolled up a sleeve to check his watch.

"Well, it's almost party time. No one's going to be looking down on the Finnster after he pulls this one off!" the masked Irish-American laughed as he stepped into a shadow.

_Midnight, San Francisco:_

"How's it hanging Viper?" Finn asked. The three Shadow Hand members were spread around an abandoned construction site. The building was going to be at least two stories if the girders were any indication, and judging by the materials lying around in bound piles it was about ready to start getting filled in. For now a skeletal structure, it was decorated by Viper hanging upside down from a rope, arms and legs securely tied, with a pair of Squid Khan lurking under her.

"Say that pun one more time," Viper groaned, rolling her eyes. Her face was getting red from so much time sent upside down.

"Relax, ladies shouldn't stress themselves, causes wrinkles, and while cool guys can pull off old and sexy, women just can't," Finn laughed at his own stale wit. No one joined in.

"Come on guys, we are about to cash in big here," he said to Right and Hak Foo. Hak Foo was doing pull-ups on a pipe while Right cleaned his katana.

"I will celebrate when that mask is mine," Hak Foo answered shortly.

"You have yet to win anything, human," Right said, inspecting the edge of his sword.

"Watch it you two, I'm the one with the army here!" Finn snapped.

"Sorry Red, a loser with an army is still a loser," Viper quipped.

"Don't push me Viper, or I might mistake you for a piñata," Finn growled. At his gesture, one of the tentacled slitherers pushed on Viper's shoulder, setting her spinning.

"I'm in charge here, I make the rules," he reminded them all. His head jerked back as if pulled by an unseen string, eyes glazing over.

"Ah, looks like the party is starting," Finn grinned. He leapt up to the girder Viper was tied to, to stand straddling the rope.

Jackie stepped into the moonlight, followed by Tohru, Uncle, and Agent Wisker. Finn frowned, looking them over before his eyes rested on the briefcase being held by the agent.

"I told you to come alone!" Finn shouted.

"…No you didn't," Jackie corrected him, looking a bit confused.

"He's right, you were rather vague," Right put in, sheathing his sword. The currently purple haired man glared at the ninja before turning back to the task at hand.

"Anyway, show me the mask," Finn rallied, pointing at Jackie accusingly. Jackie nodded to Wisker, who frowned before kneeling to balance the case on his leg. A few moments of working with the lock saw the lid pop up.

Standing, he turned the case towards the Shadow Hand and opened it wide. The green mask glared out into the night against the case's black interior.

"Good to see despite some rough spots you're being so reasonable, Chan," Finn said. Wisker shut the case without locking it as Tohru moved between him and the villains.

"Release Viper first," Jackie demanded. Finn threw back his head and laughed.

"Do you think I'm stupid? With the way you snatch the masks, as long as it's not in our hands it may as well be on the moon. Toss it to Hak there, then we let your girl go," Finn countered.

"Why should we believe you? And she's not my girl, why do you people keep saying that? !" Jackie demanded.

"If I break the deal now the thief is worthless as a hostage, and keeping her doesn't do me any good ether. The boss still seems fond of you guys, in some twisted monster way, so the obvious is out of the question.

"So why not be the bigger man and blink first? Viper won't like it if you keep me waiting," Finn smirked as his Shadowkhan's tentacles loomed over the bound thief.

"Do it," Jackie said. Wisker stepped back into sight and placed the case on the ground. Planting his foot against it, he shoved it several meters with a single motion, letting it settle in front of Hak Foo.

"Very wise," Finn said. He raised his hand in a snipping gesture with his index and middle finger. Right tossed a shuriken that cut clean through the rope Viper was dangling from. Jackie rushed forward, catching her before she could land headfirst.

"Oh, into bondage Chan? Well you kids have fun-" Finn taunted Jackie's full body grab of the falling thief before a bellow interrupted him. Hak Foo ripped the briefcase in two, letting the pieces fall to the ground, with no mask in sight.

Wisker smiled, reaching into his jacket, and pulling out the mask.

"I will have that mask!" Hak Foo bellowed, charging forward without even describing the act.

"Cat chases mouse!" Hak Foo yelled as he took off after the agent. Finn stared after them before a handful of rope hit him in the stomach. Viper dropped the rest to the ground, very much free of her restraints.

"Atta-!" he yelled before chi blasts destroyed the two Squid Khan.

"Is this what victory looks like? My, I have so much to learn," Right commented.

"You trying to make me look like a fool? !" Finn demanded. Whether he was talking to Right or his enemies wasn't clear.

"Wearing that mask _is_ foolish. Finn, you saw what happened to Chow, and how the shadows changed Jade. Whatever you think you're getting out of this isn't worth it," Tohru pleaded. Finn seemed to calm down, looking at Tohru intently.

"You've been gone too long T. You've forgotten how it works. On the wild side, you either gamble big or settle for small potatoes. And this shooter still has cards up his sleeves," Finn said. Putting two fingers into his mouth, he whistled. All around the area, red eyes opened and tentacled forms detached from the shadows surrounding the heroes and slithered to flank Finn.

"Didn't think it would be easy," Jackie sighed, pulling out a vial of glowing removal potion.

"Got enough for two?" Viper asked. Right was suddenly between them, swinging his sword in a wide slash. The two were forced apart, and immediately faced him in stances. A sound of tinkling drew Jackie's attention to the vial, as a crack appeared along it. The glass collapsed, letting the liquid flow… over his left hand. Jackie quickly clapped his hands together, engulfing them both in the magic.

"Didn't think that through did you?" Viper asked. Right narrowed his eyes at the thief, and sheathed his sword.

"I have the woman, deal with the rest, if you can," Right called to Finn.

"I'm giving the orders here!" Finn objected. Right didn't respond as Viper went up a ladder into the structure, the Shadowkhan pursuing her. With a sigh, he turned his attention to the two wizards surrounded by his Shadowkhan, but managing to hold them at bay with back-to-back chi blasts.

Jackie looked up at the distracted Enforcer as he dispersed another squid with a kick. He had to get up there, but the only ladder was kicked down by the Shadowkhan after Viper.

He saw an opening, and took it.

Finn watched, stunned despite experience, as Chan jumped on top of one of his meandering Shadowkhan, not only evading the tentacle grab, but also using it as a springboard to another Shadowkhan. And from there, landing on the same beam as himself.

"Wahhhh!" Jackie cried as he flailed his arms for balance. Regaining his footing, he had to take a big step back as Finn's fist whistled through the air his head had just been in. With no time to even think, he backed up into the vertical girder.

Seeing the lethal punch coming he ducked, and the fist struck steel with a dull ring.

"Owww! …Wait a minute, that didn't hurt," Finn realized. A glowing hand grabbed his chin.

"Oh no you don't!" Finn growled, planting his own hands on his mask-morphed face. He kicked blind; it was weak, but it still knocked Jackie off balance, letting Finn's arm strike out wildly, pushing him back.

Finn backpedaled along the girder as Jackie slammed into the dented steel.

"Ow," Jackie groaned, rubbing his back as he straightened up.

"Nice try, but this mask is not going anywhere. All I need to do is stay masked and wear you down, same for the old man and the traitor," Finn laughed as he raised a hand, the steel between them darkening as more Shadowkhan arose.

**X X X**

"Tiger pounces on thieving bug!" Hak Foo called as he tackled Wisker to the ground. The agent was taken to the ground struggling; Hak Foo smirked as he won the contest of strength – only for a pistol barrel to whip into his temple.

Recoiling from the hit, but not falling as the agent got to his feet, Hak Foo glared at the gun pointing at him.

"I read your file. Highly dangerous mercenary martial artist. Had to wonder why someone doesn't just shoot you," Wisker said. The whiskered man squeezed the trigger, the gun roared, a lock of red hair flew into the air, and a large hand closed over a narrow wrist.

"This is why, BABOON SNAPS TWIG!" Hak Foo screamed in the stunned man's face. His free hand grabbed the shoulder of Wisker's captive arm as the pistol was pointed skyward. Wisker punched him in the neck with his free hand, while the mercenary bent his forearm back, bones snapping.

Wisker hissed, his vision going white.

'No, have to stay…' he thought desperately.

"Elephant fist!" Hak Foo called, landing his blow on the man's belly. Wisker went flying, hitting the ground and rolling before coming to a stop facing up, eyes rolling back into his head. Hak Foo reached down, scooping up his opponent's gun. Twisting the barrel in his hands, he sneered before tossing the useless firearm aside.

"Now, squirrel gets his acorn," Hak Foo muttered, walking over to the groaning man.

Bending down, he reached into the agent's coat and pulled the mask free.

"Finally," Hak Foo breathed. He put the mask on and raised his fists in triumph.

"I AM INCINCIBLE!" he proclaimed.

The mask fell off his face and landed face down in the dirt with a light thud.

"What? What? !" Hak Foo exclaimed, looking down at the mask in stunned surprise. A hacking laugh drew his eyes to Wisker, grimacing but smiling as he watched Hak Foo.

"Idiot, I would never risk something like that… falling into criminal hands, for a thief. The real one never left the Vault," Wisker chuckled.

"RRAAAHH!" Hak Foo roared. He brought his boot down on the fake mask – it practically exploded in a shower of splinters.

"Lion puts down laughing hyena," he rumbled.

"I think not!" a familiar voice called.

"You again?" Hak Foo asked as El Toro emerged, wearing his wrestling outfit. And the Spiderman mask.

"You have something that belongs to me," El Toro said.

"This? An empty trophy, there is no more power in it than the one you have now," Hak Foo sneered, pulling El Toro's mask from its place on his belt, holding it out. El Toro watched him impassively, touching a finger to the Spiderman mask he had on.

"A man like you has no honor, I would not expect you to understand, much less respect, the codes of honorable men," El Toro declared. Hak Foo dropped the mask to the ground and brought his foot down on it. El Toro's eyes nearly popped out of his head, and with a battle cry, he charged.

"Monkey diverts charging bull!" Hak Foo called, evading the strike and landing a kick with the same motion into El Toro's back. Momentum out of his control, the wrestler slammed into a crate, wood snapping under the impact.

"Fool, you talk about honor, but you're nothing but a glorified entertainer. I am the true warrior here! And I will prove it," Hak Foo declared, putting a thumb to his chest.

As El Toro and Hak Foo began circling each other, Paco watched from the shadows. He had to do something – even the greatest might need help against someone with so little honor they would do _that_ to a mask. His eyes landed on a large coil of cables revealed by the smashed crate.

**X X X**

Right switched from striking out with his hands to a sweeping kick. Viper jumped just barely over the kick, landing before he recovered and striking him in the side of the neck. Staggering him for a moment, Viper took an opening, her foot going for the groin.

Her foot smacked into the palm of his hand. Pushing her back, she kept her balance as he drew himself back up.

"You evade hits and use counterattacks. You can't take a hit like the others," Right commented, stroking his thin mustache.

"I don't need to take a hit, all I have to do is hit the other guy until he goes down," Viper smirked.

"No, you're a thief, not a warrior. You fight, to run away. But where can you run to now?" Right asked. He swept his hand out, gesturing to their position now two stories off the ground with only the intersecting girder and small wood platforms offering footing.

"Well come and get me, smart guy," Viper said, undaunted. Right smiled and pulled his sheathed sword from his belt. Not removing the wood from the blade, he held it out before him.

"It will be a pleasure to test my daisho against your well-honed skills at fleeing. An edge won't be necessary," Right said.

"Get ready to eat dirt, creep," Viper retorted. Running along the girder he came at her, sheathed blade raised.

**X X X**

Jackie screamed as a tentacle wrapped around his left arm. Rather than resisting the tug, he leapt into it, colliding with the Shadowhkan. Whatever it was underneath, it was squishy. The length of steel pipe in his green hand slammed down in it, dispersing it into smoke.

Which left him hanging in the air. He managed to land on his feet, the impact light enough not to break anything, but still sending a full jolt through him.

"Hahaha! Can't touch this Chan!" Finn called from his perch on the second story.

Rising from his crouch to stand atop the girder, Finn held out a fist, opening it slowly. Five more Shadowkhan rose around Jackie as he got to his feet again.

"Heh, this is why I will be moving up. Those other guys play Chan's game and lose. Generals aren't supposed to be on the front lines, that's what grunts are for," Finn congratulated himself, watching as Jackie practically contorted himself trying to evade the tentacles launched at him with the force of spears.

Make that successfully dodging, as the scene was engulfed in patented-Shadowkhan-poof-smoke. The smoke dispersed to reveal an unscathed Jackie Chan standing precariously on one foot, tiptoe, gut very much sucked in, bent on the one supporting leg while the other pointed at a very awkward angle behind him, and his arms held straight up. Letting out a big breath, the archaeologist slumped into a more natural position.

Finn smacked his face.

"Aren't these supposed to be super soldiers or something? Cause I'm seeing stormtrooper results here!" Finn griped, gesticulating with his open hands.

"Even the best armies are useless if the commander is," Right called. Finn turned around to watch as the Shadowkhan forced the thief back at a brisk pace.

On the other side of the top level, Right pressed his attacks with the sheathed katana, Viper doing her best to evade what was essentially an expertly wielded club.

Ducking under it, she let him walk into a quick kick to the inside of a shin. He might have flinched, before hitting her over the head with a crack of his sword.

**X X X**

Jackie watched Finn look away from him. Good, he needed to get back up there, he wasn't sure how much longer the removal spell would last. How though, maybe some improvised climbing gear? Another ladder? Rope?

A roar drew his attention away from the task and to the mass of writhing Shadowkhan that had at some point surrounded Uncle and Tohru.

"Uncle!" he cried, fearing the worst.

Smoke burst outward from the line of Shadowkhan as green blasts whizzed though the air. Tohru charged through, massive fists swinging, one errant Shadowkhan getting in his path and being obliterated by a punch.

More tried to come in on his flank, only to be gunned down by Uncle. The spikey-haired wizard was riding Tohru piggyback, using both blowfish to fire chi blasts into the mass as Tohru used his strength to plow through them and physically destroy any that got through Uncle's fire.

"Forget piggyback, it's a tank," Jackie muttered in astonishment. But the mass of Shadowkhan was moving too, trying to surround the wizards again.

"Uncle! The mask!" Jackie called, pointing at Finn.

The wizard looked to his nephew and then to the possessed Enforcer looking away from them. The old man might have smirked a moment before taking his shot as his apprentice continued to roll over the disorganized Shadowkhan.

**X X X**

Viper's vision flashed white on the impact, but her hands still grabbed the sheath and twisted it with all the strength she could muster. Using all her strength or other clichés wasn't her style, but this was the sort of situation pulling out the stops was meant for.

His grip broke and she was able to pull the sword, sheath and all, away from Right. Her big worry was that she would get the sheath but leave the very, very sharp steel in those little blue hands.

"Let's see how you do now," Viper said, inching back. Her opponent narrowed his eyes at her; she threw the sword to the side, not taking her eyes off him as it plummeted to the ground below.

"Bet you wished you used your sword for real now," Viper smirked, hoping her dizziness wasn't showing. He had hit her hard, but with his edge gone she should-

His knee dug into her stomach, forcing a bad cough from her. She saw a hand dart into his loose fitting jacket, and it came out with a short sword, catching moonlight on naked steel.

He held the tip beneath her chin.

"'Daisho' is a set of swords – a katana, and this," he explained. Whipping his arm around, he struck her over the head with the pommel of the blade.

She struggled to stay lucid, but her balance was gone, she had to go down or go over. Slumping down, she tried to force the world to stop spinning.

'Get up girl! Idiot, you can't do this! You think the dark ninja will give you time to pull yourself together?'

A hand from behind her grabbed her hair and jerked her to her knees.

Right loomed behind her, near every strand of hair on her head caught in his blue fist. With another jerk, he bared the thief's throat.

"The fight is mine. You have lost," he said. She couldn't even properly see him, but she could see the raised blade in her mind's eye.

"Hey! Did the boss say you could? Well… Da!" Finn spoke somewhere nearby, before crying out.

'Jackie!' she thought for a moment. The thought he might rescue her was a rush of hope, and shame. Then she heard something cutting through the air and realized it was too late already.

**X X X**

El Toro grabbed Hak Foo in a hold, lifting him off the ground as he bear hugged the man.

"Thrush knocks rock!" Hak Foo shouted, head butting the wrestler. It was enough for him to break the grip.

"Owl escapes tree branches! Beaver topples tree!" Hak Foo shouted. Breaking free, he went low, knocking El Toro's legs out from under him.

"Monkey plucks two peaches!" Hak Foo continued, getting to his feet and striking at El Toro's face with two extended fingers.

The wrestler slapped the hand aside with a snap and grabbed Hak Foo's arm.

"Alli oop," El Toro said, throwing as much of his weight as he could into throwing the fighter aside. Using the momentum to come to his feet, he went into a low stance.

Hak Foo was already recovered, stalking for a new opening. El Toro cracked his neck, but was getting worried.

He was stronger than this man, but this was not wrestling. He could hold his own against most, but this man was strong enough to fight Jackie, and without his sense of honor.

'This is no sport; I don't have the arena. This is his game, and he is a veteran. What would Jackie do?' El Toro wondered.

"El Toro, over here!" Paco yelled. He was leaning out from behind a tall pile of wooden planks, waving his arm.

"Paco?" El Toro wondered. It took less than a moment to take the chance; turning his back on his opponent, he ran toward Paco, who smiled, disappearing behind the wood. El Toro rounded the corner with a small skid, and smiled at what he saw.

"Wolf chases cowardly cattle!" Hak Foo yelled, rounding the corner. He stopped in his tracks at the sight before him. Ropes had been tied between two girders, hidden by the pile. The ropes were crackling, pulled back and taut by El Toro Fuerte.

"Hola," the luchadore said. Taking his foot from the ground, he flew forward into Hak Foo.

Leaving Paco to tie up the man, El Toro let the Spiderman mask fall to the ground. Pulling his own from the dust, he brushed it off before pulling it back on.

"El Toro, you are the greatest," Paco said, coming up behind him.

"The night is not over yet, Paco," his hero said, turning around. Paco grimaced – a boot print was dark against the left side of the mask.

"What?" El Toro asked.

**X X X**

Finn braced himself for a big "hello kiss" from the ground, screwing his eyes shut. But when he jerked to a stop, there was no full body slap. Just… buoyancy? Ropes?

He opened his eyes to see a shadow squid had caught him in its tentacles.

"Thanks man!" Finn gave it a thumb's up. A green chi blast caught the creature between the eyes, vaporizing it. Finn plopped to the ground and surged to his feet as the "wizard tank" bore down on him.

"Okay, you want the big guns! ? " Finn shouted. Crossing his arms, he caught a chi blast that skidded him back a few paces, but did not topple him. Flinging his arms out, he gave a roar that seemed to make the steel around them vibrate for a moment.

"Enough, you want to drive old man, see how you like it!" the purple-haired man cursed, eyes snapping open.

"Now see what a true Shadowkhan mage can do, mortals. Huoxun, Zongzai, Xing! Huoxun, Zongzai, Xing!" The General shot off rapidly.

Eyes glowing crimson, he thrust his palms at the wizards, and darkness sprang like an out of control oil spout all around them. Forming into a pair of waves, the shadows closed in on the wizards.

"Aiyaah!" Uncle screamed as liquid night bore down on them. A wide-eyed Tohru looked away from the oncoming attack, to the red-eyed Finn still in sight.

The giant reached up, grabbing his sensei, and twisted, throwing him at the masked man. The shadows crashed down on him, burying him in a black pulsing mass. Uncle managed to roll roughly with the tumble, coming up at Finn's feet.

"Well, well, so it isn't just looks, no mistaking that noble streak," Finn commented in very un-Finn like tones, studying the pulsing blob of darkness. Uncle snapped up the already charged blowfish.

Without looking, the possessed man turned on a heel, kicking the wands away. Snapping his fingers, a squid appeared, binding the cursing old man.

"Take note human, this is how you win a battle," Kuro snapped.

He turned to find Jackie Chan sneaking up on him.

"Pleasure to meet you. You've made life so hard for so many I dislike. Your woman even crushed Ozeki's jewels! But alas, my pride doesn't allow me to throw a fight to a human. So either put those hands down or I clap my hands and they both get crushed," he smirked. He held his hands apart, fearsome face set in stone. Jackie met his stare, and then looked away, lowering his hands.

"Jackie, beating dark forces is more important than Uncle!" his uncle objected. Kuro rushed toward Jackie, fist raised.

"He's right you know, fool!" Kuro laughed, landing a super strength punch in Jackie's gut. The archeologist went flying, only stopping when he hit a steel beam and slid limply to the ground.

"That's it, nothing to it! The girl's sweet but if this is all, she really should wait a hundred years. Tarakudo wouldn't have lost a single mask to this lot!" Kuro cackled, turning his attention to the seething wizard. He didn't see large hands lightly slap Jackie's still glowing ones.

"Oh, and I'll be crushing the life from you now, and eating the brains after," Kuro declared, spreading his arms wide. A pair of massive arms closed over the white suited demon, pinning his arms to his sides.

El Toro leapt into the air, slamming the possessed Finn between his muscles and the hard ground. Without a moment's hesitation, the wrestler grabbed his stunned opponent's face and pulled.

With a squelching scream, the mask came away. El Toro stood up, holding the mask high, as he had countless trophies. The mass of shadows exploded along with all the Squid Khan, revealing a woozy looking Tohru and an Uncle who might have just smiled.

"Tag team," El Toro said to Uncle by way of explanation. Groaning, Jackie pulled himself up. The wrestler picked Finn up by the back of his jacket as the Irishman rubbed his face.

"Did we win?" he asked, still dizzy.

"No, though it's not quite over yet," Right spoke up. The ninja stepped into sight, Viper held in front of him, thick steel pipes wrapped around her arms.

"Don't give him the mask," Viper demanded.

"Losers don't get to make demands. You may stink like an onion, but without them you really seem to be falling short," Right commented.

"Yeah! Just like we planned!" Finn put in, glancing between the muscular man holding him up easily with one hand and the hostage situation.

"Oh, stop acting like you are competent. I will report this failure to my Queen and she will decide what to do with you. However, it is for _her_ to decide. Hand over the fool and take back your thief.

"And boy, you are planning something heroic and foolish, just don't," Right continued. Behind him, Paco stopped in his sneaking tracks with a large adjustable wrench in hand.

"Come now, it's not like I'm asking for the mask; that was his task. Ninja's honor you get the thief back?" Right pressed, holding up two fingers.

"Do ninjas even have honor?" Uncle asked Tohru, who shrugged from his spot on the ground.

El Toro looked to Jackie, who nodded. El Toro effortlessly tossed the smaller man towards Right. Finn hit face first and skidded to Viper's feet.

"Hey, watch the face!" Finn griped, pushing himself up. Viper kicked him in the face.

As Finn cried in pain, clutching his nose, Right laughed, shoving Viper forward. As Viper nearly stumbled, the sword-wielding ninja grabbed Finn and began to sink into the shadows.

"Well fought today, but my Queen's power and thirst for victory grow ever greater," he warned them cheerfully, before vanishing into the darkness.

"Big guy, could you get me out of this?" Viper asked tersely, drawing their attention from the spot the Shadow Hand had vanished into.

"Sorry," El Toro apologized, stepping up to Viper. As he inspected the pipes and began to bend them, Jackie helped Tohru to his feet.

"The mask?" Tohru asked.

"They fell for the fake, and El Toro beat the bad guy, he is the greatest!" Paco proclaimed, having popped up. He held his victory pose for a moment longer than he should have, and deflated.

'Waiting for Jade to argue?' Jackie wondered.

"What fake?" Jackie asked.

"So that's why I didn't sense evil in the mask," Tohru realized.

"Wisker," Jackie said.

"Or Captain Black," Uncle added.

"Viper, did you get a hair cut?" El Toro asked, stepping away from Viper and tossing the twisted pipes aside. Viper glared at him, running a hand through what was left of her hair.

_Windsor Mansion:_

Finn opened the front door and walked into the parlor, Right following close behind. He winced, touching his abused nose with tissue, helping to block the bleeding.

"Man, why can't I win?" Finn griped as he slumped down in an overstuffed Victorian chair. Right appeared before him, holding out a cell phone Blankman had carved some mystic symbols into.

Finn winced before taking the phone, and dialing Jade's number, dreading the report. She picked up on the second ring.

"Finn, did you blow it?" Jade asked curiously.

"What kind of way is that to answer the phone, boss? How about a little faith in the Finn?" the Enforcer protested.

"Fine, did you get the mask?" she asked.

"No, well actually, uh no, not really," Finn admitted.

"Do my ears deceive me, or have you lost the mask you had too?" Jade pressed.

"Yeah, I had a great plan though," he claimed.

"Mhm, well I can't say I'm too surprised. Tell Right to get down here, a bottle of the traveling potion is in the lab safe, he just needs to use it where I made the portal last time," Jade dismissed.

"What about me and Hak?" Finn inquired.

"I don't need you, and I don't want to listen to him complain about masks," Jade said. With a click, the line went dead.

"Okay, boss lady says-" Finn began, putting the phone down. But Right was already walking away toward Jade's magic room. Finn noticed a pouch hanging from the Shadowkhan's belt; he was certain that hadn't been there earlier.

_Morning, San Francisco Airport:_

"Thank you for your help El Toro," Jackie shook the wrestler's hand. They had given the pair a lift to the terminal, except for Tohru, who was examining his clothes for dark magic residue. El Toro had changed back into a suit, though his mask still drew stares.

"It was the least I can do. Good luck with saving Jade, if you ever need help, don't hesitate to call," El Toro assured them.

"So, back to Mexico – Paco might have mentioned you have a big match coming up. About fifty times," Viper remarked. She had gotten what was left of her hair cut into what was basically a bob. The fact she was wearing her white hat suggested it was not quite satisfactory.

"Si, this is a championship match, my first since bowing out of the league," El Toro answered.

"You mean first where you aren't cheating with magic," Uncle reminded everyone.

"Uncle!" Jackie interjected.

"No, he is right. It's time to prove I truly am a champion," El Toro stated solemnly.

"Well, good luck to you too then, El Toro," Jackie said.

"Knock him dead, or down, whatever happens in lucha libre," Viper added. Jackie's phone rang; pulling it out of his pocket, he took a step away from the group.

"El Toro does not need luck, he is the greatest," Paco stated, proudly crossing his arms.

"Fake fight anyway, probably hurrying back for _dresssss_ rehearsal!" Uncle grumbled.

"You know nothing of the luchadores' glory!" Paco objected. Uncle psahed and waved him off.

"Uncle was an actor too, he knows enough!" Uncle retorted.

"Paco, settle down," El Toro said.

"You were an actor?" Viper asked Uncle, quite surprised.

"It looks like we might not be parting ways quite yet," Jackie said, returning to the group. He handed Viper his phone, looking quite focused.

"Get Tohru on the line, I need to check flights.

"That was Captain Black – Chow and Ratso have been spotted in Mexico City," Jackie told everyone.

_Mexico City:_

"I guess it is pointless to expect more from them," Jade sighed, rubbing her scarred brow.

She sat on a cushioned chair pulled into the middle of the hotel room, legs tucked beneath her. It wasn't the suite she had wanted, but Blankman had allowed her high-end accommodations at least. The curtains were drawn with only a lamp in the far corner casting any light on the large room. Her hood was pulled back in the dark and her hair hung loose. Right kneeled before her, watching as she opened her eyes, letting their red glow shine brighter.

"Regardless, what about your other mission?" she asked. The Shadowkhan smiled and stood, taking the pouch from his belt and offering it to her.

Jade smiled, not showing off her teeth this time, as she took it and pulled the pouch open. She delicately pulled a lock of dark hair from the pouch and held it to her face. Taking a deep whiff of it, she let out a satisfied sigh.

"Yes, perfect, and so much. It seems I can rely on Shadowkhan to succeed where humans come up short," she commented, settling back into her chair.

"Of course, my Queen," Right said as she secured the hairs in the pouch once more. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax back into the chair, the shadows whispering songs as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**AN:**

_Hello, it's certainly been a while. Two reasons for this delay: One, I have begun work on what I hope will one day be a published novel of my own. And secondly, a case of writer's block these last weeks._

_The block was the real issue, and various RL matters kept me from fanfiction writing in general._

_This chapter was not intended to be so long, it just turned out that way. Hope you enjoyed it as we get into the second half of the story._

_El Toro and Paco were trouble. I had to review the episodes to reacquaint myself with those two. How do they compare?_

_My next target for updating is a double post for "Hachin". And then the tragically overdue update for "Kindred". The most I can promise for this story is some kind of update before New Year's, even if it is only an interlude._

_I thank you for your patience with me, and this story. I never thought the project would end up being so long in the making._

_Happy Halloween to American readers!_

_Long days and pleasant nights to you all._


	17. Interlude V

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not as of yet, and likely never will, be able to claim or exercise ownership of JCA._

**Betaed by: Zim'smostloyalservant**

* * *

_"Queen __of All Oni"_**_  
_**

Interlude V

Eras

Or

_Every Ending is also a Beginning_

_1929, ?_

The master of the house stood in his study, looking out at the night through the tall window adorned with a blue stain glass border. The grounds stretched before his eyes, the drive a dark serpent against moonlit grass.

Stroking his fine handlebar mustache, he glanced at what laid in the lacquered box resting on the table close at hand. At the sound of the door opening, he closed the box delicately. He turned to face his son as the boy entered the room.

"Sit, we need to talk," he said, gesturing to a tall, deep armchair. The boy sat as bid while the man walked over to the fireplace, and stoked the fire. Satisfied in the blaze, the aristocrat stood to lean against the mantle lightly, looking up at the portrait of a beautiful raven-haired woman in a purple gown that hung above them.

"It's not true, what they are saying, is it?" his son demanded in that strange way of boys. The master of the house couldn't resist a smile at the bold question.

"Actually it is. I warned your mother and grandfather that we could not remain unchanging in a world that has embraced change and rejected tradition. But it seems I have tried and failed to change with the times myself.

"The title, the legacy, they don't matter much in the face of soured investments. I am, officially, a failure as a businessman," the father said.

"Everything… it's all gone?" the boy asked.

"Near enough as makes little difference. The house, the land, the antiques, it all must go. What is left goes to your education; I have made arrangements already. And this, the only inheritance I can give," the father said. He pulled the painting back, revealing an elaborate chalk drawing on the wall in stark white. In the center of the design was the outline of a hand; the master of the house placed his hand within the silhouette, and the chalk lines began to move and dance across the wall.

The boy watched in awe, almost missing his father pull his hand out of a seemingly solid wall. The mustached man walked over to his son and held out what he had retrieved. A dagger longer than his hand – a chipped steel guard, an unraveling leather hilt, and a thin blade in a sheath.

The boy took the offered blade and drew it. He gasped at the silver blade catching the light.

"This has been lost and regained by our family many times. This is the silver dagger Sir Lancelot used to pierce the heart of Morgan Le Fay. It is not just a trophy to past, lost glory, it reminds us of the two lessons I told you with that story," the father said, returning to the mantle.

"What sort of education?" the boy inquired, sliding the blade back into its sheath. He could only see half his father's face; the rest was concealed in shadow.

"That is your choice.

"Did I ever tell you the story of Heracles' choice?" his father wondered. He received no answer, and after a moment's silence spoke again.

"They say when Heracles was still young, before he had earned the title Glory of Hera and taken it as his name, that he reached a crossroads in the mountains. Two figures presided over the two paths.

"The path to the right was presided over by a beautiful woman in a white dress, young and as fare as the promises of spring. Her path was clear, and wide; it led down into a green valley with a lake bluer than the sky.

"To the left stood a figure clad all in black, even its face hidden beneath a cowl. That path was hardly a path, a slope of jagged rock and loose stones, riddled with thorn and thistle as it stretched perilously into the cold hard peaks.

"The woman to the right spoke, and bid him take her road. Her road was safe, and easy to tread. It would soon carry him to all a man would ever need and all the days of his life he would know plenty and peace would be his to take.

"The figure to the left spoke. It told him that this road he saw was long, it was hard, and it would bring pain and trial in abundance. And it was likely he would not reach its end. And it might take all his life to reach its end. But if he overcame all that the road held and reached the end, his name and glory would live on ages beyond his own life.

"The man who would be Heracles stepped to the left and never looked back," the man told the tale.

…

"I would take the road that is worth the journey," the boy said. His father smiled sadly.

_Morning:_

The master of the house watched the black clad teacher take his son's bags and walk across the hall to the door. The purple eye tattooed on the back of the teacher's neck watched him. He was certain there was laughter in that cursed ink.

The door closed and the eye was gone, leaving him alone with his son. They stood apart, watching each other.

"My son, I have dropped the torch, the flame has gone out. You owe me nothing for an empty legacy.

"Even so, I wish you to succeed where those before you have failed. And to do that you must draw strength from what is and will be, not what was. Learn and understand what power, _true_ power, is in this world, and make yourself its master. Never let the power master you, as it did our family – that is the road to destruction and enslavement.

"Be bold, but also wise. Be brave; yet walk with prudence. Be certain, and remember to question. Be cunning, but remember the value of honor. And above all else, be victorious!" the man proclaimed, emotion flooding into his voice.

"I will, poppa," the boy managed. A horn honked outside.

"Go then, the world is waiting," the master of the house smiled.

**XXX**

Dressed in his best suit, the master of the manor opened the lacquered box and pulled out its contents. He turned to the study window, watching the motorcar make its way down the drive.

"Le roi est mort," the father said, putting the revolver to the side of his head.

"Viva le roi!" he whispered.

**BANG**

_Present Day, Mexico City:_

Blankman sat at his desk, looking at an array of cards laid out before him. Frowning, he picked up the king of hearts from the tabletop. The other cards kicked up and fluttered through the air to settle back in the deck box he had left open.

"A long road indeed, with so many unexpected turns. And many regrets. It's not like Orpheus – we don't look back because the road ahead is the one we can still walk on. To whatever end," the wizard said. He slid the card into the box, and closed it with a light thunk.

* * *

_Japan, After the Genpei Wars:_

The countryside was beautiful as summer faded toward autumn in the mountains. The breeze was serene and cool in the lingering heat, whispering through the trees. The road that cut through the serenity was well traveled and well kept, and was being well used at the moment.

A glorious company of samurai rode down the road, their armor pristine even as the faces beneath their helms betrayed the solemn confidence of hardened veterans. At their lead was a samurai adorned with the crest of the Minamoto, which all other wore as badges, and a towering man with a mane of wiry black hair, a warrior monk's robes and thick veil hiding his face.

The lead samurai raised his hand and the company pulled their trotting mounts to a halt. A man stumbled amidst the horses; short and unkempt in the ruins of once fine garments, he had the look of one who had gone from plump to scrawny as only the ill or starving could. His hands were bound by a length of rope that was tied to the saddles of one of the riders.

The prisoner squinted up at the sun as the samurai dismounted and led their horses onto the grassy roadside. Frowning, the once fat man watched as Benkei and Yoshitune dismounted.

"We are not going to Kyoto, are we?" the man asked, licking parched lips. His voice was raspy, throat raw from the forced march and dust of the road.

"Taira Munemori, son of Kiyomori and former Ason of the Heike Clan, my brother Ason Yoritomo thinks giving loyalists a chance to free you on the road too much of a risk. Your double will suffice for the people of Kyoto," Yoshitune told him.

Drawing his sword, the famed samurai severed the bonds with casual ease. Munemori looked at his freed hands with surprise before rubbing his wrists as the samurai whose horse had been leading him headed off.

"Let me become a monk. Let me copy sutras and shave my head," the fallen Heike asked, daring to meet the eyes of the Minomoto warrior. Yoshitune frowned at the words.

"Your clan perished at the Battle of the Straits, even your own mother gave herself to the waves. And yet, even when your own men threw you from your ship for the sake of the name Heike, you dared to swim. What makes you think such as you should have the right to determine their fate?" Yoshitune asked, looking for a moment like the demon Munemori's fallen kin had thought him.

"So few remain. My sister in her splendid cage, the traitors… My father knew I would fail. I see him in my dreams – he tells me the torments of Yomi are horrid but none more so than seeing me lead our clan to ruin," Munemori held the samurai's gaze. Yoshitune flinched at what he saw there. Fear and hatred yes, but above all else, weariness. He did not have the words to capture the weariness in this defeated foe's eyes.

And he _was_ defeated, Yoshitune realized. The Heike were fallen, and unlike Taira Kiyomori, Minomoto Yoritomo was ensuring his foes would never rise again. And Munemori knew it. Knew all reviled him, that he would only be freed to be killed by any loyalists that remained of his clan. His name would be passed down as one of foolishness and failure.

"My father spared you, sent you among the monks. Let me become a monk, let me copy sutra; let me search for peace and pray for the souls of my clan," the broken man asked tiredly. Yoshitune drew his sword.

"You would pray, Taira Munemori?" Yoshitune asked. His captive nodded, watching the sword as Yoshitune drew it.

"Show me, Heike," the Minomoto commanded.

'He knows,' Yoshitune thought as their eyes met again.

Still, Munemori went to his knees and began to chant the lotus sutra. As he chanted the sutra, Yosthirune circled behind him with all the silence and grace of a Tengu. As the prayer reached its end, he looked to Benkei; for what, he was not sure.

The prayer ended, and Yoshitune struck true.

He watched the body fall, astounded by the ease of the task. Of all the men he had killed, had any ever fallen like so much grass before a razor scythe? Then he saw it.

The blood flowing from the neck, shimmering in the sun, touched by the wind.

"That's it! The last banner of the Heike," he whispered(1).

"Young master?" Benkei inquired, seeing the other man suddenly troubled. His alarm spiked as Yositune ripped his helm from his head. He ran a hand through his hair as he stared at the blood of Munemori pooling in the road.

"Do not follow," he commanded. Before the warrior monk could answer he was running, into the woods.

**XXX**

Silent as a shadow, light as a leaf in the wind, as confident as a bird in the sky, he moved through the brush with the grace of his teachers. The armor did not slow him, but its weight was suddenly unbearable. He tore it away without breaking stride, the litter the only trail he left through the trees.

The woods ended suddenly, his flight brought to an equally sudden end, staring over a sheer cliff face at the mountains. He stood there in the shadow of the trees, looking out over the world, stripped of his armor with only his sword and topknot betraying his true class.

Throwing back his head, he screamed the war cry that had sent the butterflies (2) and all who followed them to flight. It echoed back to him, somehow both horrid and hollow.

"Wasn't there supposed to be something more!? My vengeance is complete! My clan restored, my enemies vanquished! Where is my satisfaction!?" Yoshitune screamed to the world.

He didn't know whom he was yelling at, and even as he searched for some sign in answer, he found himself doubting he would receive one.

"I am an avenger, and my vengeance is done," he whispered, looking to his sword.

The Kami had cheated him. It had been his destiny to slay the wicked Taira Kiyomori, the architect of the Minamoto's ruin who had defiled his mother and befouled the imperial court with his corrupt butterflies.

But the man's sins had been too great to wait, it seemed. He had broken his clan's pact with the Dragon King and had taken the vows of a Buddhist monk, only to break every vow and spirit of the Buddha's ways. So Yomi had come to collect while the man still lived, boiling him from the inside. Even the holy water meant to save him turned to steam on his skin, as all the powers of the spirit world forsook the butterfly lord.

And what had that left? A pathetic man so far out of his depth he had been drowning in the shadows of his father and brother? And while men had called Munemori many foul things, he had never heard the man called wicked save when obliged to do his father's bidding.

And Taira Tommori, his adversary in the field of battle… They had never crossed blades, but he was certain that had that warrior commanded the Taira, the war would still rage. He had atoned for his failures; with a final report, the General of the Taira had leapt into the bloodstained straits in full armor. They already said he had become a Kami in death.

He remembered when they had reached the ship holding Emperor Antoku; the glory of liberating the Emperor from his corrupt clan turning to dust as the ladies of the Heike leapt from the vessel, sinking into the depths.

He had saved Antoku's mother, though she had cursed him for it. The rest…

Nii no Ama herself, the wise wife of Kiyomori, who he had betrayed for all to see with younger women even as he demanded she don a nun's affects; she had taken the Emperor to the depths with her. The sacred sword as well. Kusanagi, the sword of Emperors, wielded by Yamamoto Dake himself, had been lost to the waves despite all of Yoritomo's efforts to retrieve it.

True, they had saved the sacred jewel from the waters, and Benkei had secured the sacred mirror, but all Yoritimo seemed to see was what his faithful brother had failed to do.

"I have won, despite it all. The infant, spared as an afterthought, has grown into a man and changed the world," Yoshitune told himself.

"But what now? Tametomo was right, my brother sees me like a stranger, and the Kami willing there will be no more wars to fight. What good are you?" Yoshitune demanded of his blade. His reflection glared back at him.

He thought of his dark uncle. They had met in person during the war. He had indeed been a man impossible to ignore or forget. But there had been no talk of that night, or attempts to again make that pact. And he was dead now as well – surrounded and alone, Minamoto Tametomo had once again defied his foes. He had stabbed himself to death with his own sword, proclaiming no Heike was worthy of ending his life.

"He was a monster shaped by the supernatural; for all his might and glory, there is no denying that. And it was the Tengu who shaped me, chose me.

"Perhaps Yoritomo is right to see me as a threat. He was chosen by Hachiman (3); why would one anointed by a great Kami wish to have one chosen by the Tengu at his side?" Yoshitune wondered.

He looked intently at the blade. The abbot, the man who had raised him in place of a father, had warned him of the Tengu, and claimed even violence in the name of righteousness was folly. Even now he could not accept that doing nothing in the face of evil was the will of Heaven. But he was tainted; he could see that now.

"An age of peace has no need of avengers. Dark Uncle, do you walk with the Oni now? Father, can you see me from the lotus? Which am I nearer too? But is there any reason for me to draw another breath when the time has come to sheath my sword?!" he demanded of everything and nothing.

The wind picked up, a whisper through the trees.

"Eh?" he slipped, tilting is head. A voice?

"The last lessons?" he wondered if that was what he had heard. A moment's puzzled reflection reminded him. It was after Sojo Bo granted him a vision of his late father; the Tengu Prince had given him a scroll containing the last three lessons the ancient spirit had for him.

"First, there is always a way around trouble; find it.

"Second, there is no good reason to endure the company of fools.

"Third, stop reading this scroll, and get on with your life," he recited. With those last words he hung his head, and sheathed his sword. Minamoto Yoshitune looked out over the world that seemed so uncaring about the great deeds and sins of men and found a surprising smile on his lips.

"I see Master, the final lesson is to move on. Perhaps its time to be a father myself," the hero wondered. He turned from the cliff and vanished back into the trees.

* * *

_Shadow Realm, The Red King's Rebellion:_

Tarakudo drew a deep breath as he stood on the black stone steps of the Elder Shrine. He looked down at the body before him – Hiruzen, his head two steps down from where his shoulders rested, black blood pooling around it. Raising his katana, the Shadow King looked at the stained blade with disbelief.

"Your Majesty," Ikazuki spoke at his sovereign's side. Scowling, Tarakudo lowered his blade and glanced at the Samurai General.

A red fist slammed into the blue face, sending the samurai crashing back onto the steps. The General caught himself as he landed, beginning to push back up, only for a still wet blade to be thrust towards his throat.

"You were not to interfere! I told you, he was mine!" Tarakudo growled.

"Yes, but I am your loyal vassal, and you once told me loyalty is not the same as obedience," Ikazuki said evenly. His calm green eyes meet the blazing gold eyes of the King.

"RAAAHHHH!" Tarakudo cried, raising his sword over head. Ikazuki did not blink as the blade fell, and cleaved the stone next to his head. When a piece of his helm slid off, then he blinked.

The samurai rose as Tarakudo walked back over to the body, two samurai lieutenants advancing at the snap of his fingers. Kneeling, Tarakudo pulled the short sword from Hiruzen's cooling hand, taking a moment to examine the jade chip carved into the shape of a leaf that dangled from it.

"Take his body to the battle. Let's end this before any more brothers die for a lost cause. Leave the head," he told the samurai. They bowed to him before delicately lifting the body from the stairs.

"Careful – even in death, he deserves the honor. The mightiest warrior of the Shadowkhan, he still has the right to that title," Tarakudo said, glancing at Ikazuki. The General averted his eyes this time.

With a sigh, Tarakudo reversed his grip on Hiruzen's blade and drove it into the black stone. It sank less than half its length, shadow coursing from Tarakudo's hand down the blade.

"Let this mark the spot where he fell," Tarakudo told Ikazuki. Wordlessly, he rose and, with a moment's hesitation, picked up Hiruzen's head by the hair. The King ascended the steps slowly, sword in one hand, still dripping head of the Eldest Shadowkhan in the other.

"Go back to the battle Ikazuki; some will fight to the end. This I must truly do alone," Tarakudo commanded, without turning away from his goal.

**XXX**

The sliding doors on the shrine were painted in shades of blue, depicting a beautiful Shadowkhan woman in the mist. Tarakudo grabbed the door and yanked. It didn't budge, smoke rising from the edge.

"Pfft," he spat.

Two slashes of his sword and the door fell in, the frame still in place. Incense-laden smoke drifted out as he crossed the threshold. The Red King wrinkled his nose at the incense that swirled about the floor like mist. A patch of it cleared, revealing a mat for him to place his sandals. He ignored it, proceeding down the long entry hall. Another grand door filled the end of the hallways; this one he kicked down, hitting one of the women depicted right in the face.

"You dare desecrate this sacred ground, Tametomo?" a rasping voice accused. The warrior stepped into the throne chamber, the tattered mats crunching under his feet. He stopped a few paces before the screen of blue-dyed reeds that divided the room. Lamps on the other side let him clearly see the outlines of the Elders beyond.

Small, hunched even in their sitting, and hair done up with what looked like pins.

He held up the head of Hiruzen and dropped it between him and the Elders. The smoke pulled back from the head, swirling about it but revealing the rotted floor beneath the decaying mat.

"Hiruzen-sama is dead, and even now those who followed him are either falling on their blades or bending the knee. Your reign is over, your era is dead," he declared.

"Traitorous man. You would have never been anything if not for the Shadowkhan, and now you destroy them?" one of the Elders demanded.

"It is gratitude that has brought me here. You are not fit to rule such a mighty race of proud warriors. Whoring them to wizards and lords to keep yourselves alive on pilfered chi. Today, I purge the Shadowkhan of the disease festering in their midst.

"My only regret is that so many fine warriors had to die fighting on your behalf," he declared.

"Foolish child. We are the blood of Kagehime – without us the Shadowkhan have no purpose, they are incomplete," one of them hissed.

"Yes, though you wouldn't know, you still have a human taint within you, Tametomo," another mocked.

"They do not need you; my existence is proof of that. And my era will be one of strength and pride! I will not simply be King of the Shadowkhan – I will be Lord of all Oni, and then Lord of all Nihon. The Shadowkan will never be slaves under my rule, all will bow before us!" Tarakudo shouted, raising a fist.

"You won't have a chance, FOOL!" the three elders cried in unison. He saw their hands thrust out, and the smoke rose in a great coiling mass. The shadow snake loomed nearly touching the ceiling, and opened its mouth, baring fangs.

"You women and your snake obsession," Tarakudo rolled his eyes.

With a deep echoing roar, the snake struck down at him. His backhanded fist struck its snout, and it vanished in a flash.

"Your magic isn't just ancient, it's rotten," he told them, stepping forward. Seizing the screen, he gave a tug, and with a sound of ripping wood, it came crashing down. Taking a step back, he looked at the Elders, and his eyes bulged.

"HOW DARE YOU?! NO MAN CAN LOOK UPON US UNLESS WE ALLOW IT!" the center Elder shrieked, baring yellow fangs.

"Oh, by all the Kami! I mean, I was expecting old and ugly, but this… Egh!" he muttered, raising a hand to obscure them from view a bit.

"Even a King must obey the laws! You will suffer for this-"

"I almost threw up, I can taste in on my tongue! I need sake," he continued to mutter as the Elders pulled themselves to their feet.

"A hundred years of torture! Then to be torn apart by a starved dragon hatchling! No, even more is – ACK!" the center Elder ranted before choking off. Tarakudo watched them with disgust, air rippling around his raised fist as they clutched at their necks and were lifted off their feet.

"You still don't get it, do you? You are nothing; only that great warrior had the power to keep you on your thrones. Without him, there is no reason for anyone to heed anything you say.

"In fact, be still," he ordered, narrowing his eyes. With a quick jerk, he rotated his fist.

_CRACK. CRACK. CRACK_.

The Elders went limp in the air; Tarakudo opened his fist and let the bodies fall to the floor. Blue dust puffed up in the impact, to his surprise. Stepping over the fallen screen, he climbed onto the dais that had served as the seat of power for all the Elders of the Matriarchy since the shrine's construction.

The withered flesh had fallen away as dust, leaving yellow bones shot through with black veins poking from piles of fine-dyed silk of purple. The white hair still clung to the skulls, still held sensibly in place by bejeweled pins.

He found that oddly amusing, and on a strange whim, poked the center skull with the edge of his steel-plated geta. The tap was light, but still cracks spider-webbed across the skull as he watched.

"Heh, I was right. There was nothing to them, just a botched attempt to mimic jiangshi to prolong their useless lives. It'd be amusing, if it weren't so pathetic. On the other hand, I did hate these wenches!" Tarakudo grinned. Smiling, he stomped on the skull, making it explode into powder as the hair pins shattered under the impact.

Grinding the dust underfoot, his grin slipped as he looked around.

"Is that it, then? After all the trouble I went through, shouldn't there be something a bit more dramatic? Hardly a fitting start to the Third Era of the Shadowkhan, this pathetic whimper," Tarakudo mused.

Standing there contemplating crushing the other skulls before looting the shrine, a wind picked up, swirling around him.

"Well, hello!" he laughed, watching the wind move around him and the chamber visibly. It formed into a small cyclone, around Hiruzen's head, lifting it into the air.

"A floating head? There's something you don't see every day," Tarakudo smiled, holding out his sword as he fell into a stance.

Hiruzen's eyes snapped open as the wind whipped his white hair about. The fallen General bared his fangs at the King of the Shadowkhan.

"My sincere congratulations! It's not everyone who can survive a beheading," Tarakudo dipped his head slightly, still smiling.

"You think you've won, fool?" Hiruzen asked, his voice a thin whisper on the wind.

"Don't loose your head there, sir. The floating head thing is impressive, but the matter is very much settled," Tarakudo frowned.

"You are blinded by arrogance, as they were. You do not know what a shadow must have. Their ambition was to live forever, yours is selfish glory. Different paths to the same end – ruin!" Hiruzen spat.

"What a shadow needs? Is this a riddle or a curse? I'd prefer to know just what I am dealing with," Tarakudo demanded. Blue fire ignited on Hiruzen's chin and began to spread across his face.

"An answer cannot be given, only found," the Eldest of Shadowkhan stated as the fire consumed him.

The ashes were whipped by the wind away from the puzzled Red King and out of the shrine. Outside it rushed to the sword embedded on the shrine stairs. The ash struck the immaculate blade, sticking fast, turning it grey.

* * *

_Mexico City, Present Day_

Jade woke to darkness, leaping up in her bed. Or at least trying to – the blanket was twisted around her body, so she didn't quite find her feet and fell back onto the bed.

Heart thumping, her breath was quick, her mind whirling. Hands grasping the soft warm blankets rather than hard, burning glass calmed her. And the darkness was relief from the searing light.

Her heart slowing and breathing returning to normal, she sat up. Tugging at the blankets did not immediately yield results; she ran a claw across her thumb, considering it.

"Your sleep is troubled, my Queen," Left spoke. The Queen turned her head toward the sound of his voice. She did not feel like taking the mask off, but speaking to a general direction did not appeal.

"Come here, sit," she ordered softly. She barely felt him alight on the bed; reaching out with one hand to confirm it, she found a sandal-less foot and the crossed leg attached to it. Lying back down, she rested a hand against his knee.

To her surprise, she felt him take hold of the blanket and start untangling her from the mass. With a sigh, she let her head sink into the mattress.

"What was it like?" she asked.

"What, my Queen?" he asked back politely.

"You went from being a mindless servant to being able to think for yourself. I mean, how do you even know the stuff you do?" she asked.

"Do you remember what it was like to be born? Do you remember learning how to walk? It is enough to know it happened and to know what you know. Pointless questions are Right's prerogative – it is enough for me to simply be grateful for what I have," he told her solemnly.

"And you're okay with that? I'm so weak now, doesn't it bother you to serve someone you have to save?" Jade dared to ask. She regretted the question as soon as she said it. What if it gave him ideas?

"No, you are my Queen. Strong or weak makes no difference; loyalty, once given, is stronger than words carved into stone. If the lord is weak, that only means the vassal must become stronger.

"You gave me awareness, will, and a name. These things make me alive in a way mere Drones can never be. There is no service I can provide equal to that great gift. So the only honorable course is to live at your service or die at your need, my Queen," he told, her lifting away the blanket to let her legs slide free.

Jade blinked at the words; they were heavy. It made her feel a bit odd, but not bad.

Soon, Left delicately lifted her head from his foot and placed it back on the bed. Careful not to disturb her peaceful rest, he moved to stand at her bedside, standing guard over her while his brother rested.

Dawn would soon come, and he sensed conflict on the horizon.

* * *

**1)**. _Historically Taira no Munemori was executed in Kyoto along with his final son ending the main Heike bloodline. But considering the story we have here, I decided to use a legend I read regarding his death and him performing the lotus sutra as his final words rather than __"There is nothing left worth to say."__ Yoshitune's actions after seeing a red banner in blood are an original creation._

**2).**_ The Heike/Taira crest was a butterfly._

**3). **_ The tutelary Kami of the Minamoto clan. According to legend when Yoritomo was taken to a shrine to Hachiman by his father, two flocks of birds formed white banners as part of a vision sign. Just as it predicted success and disaster for Yoshitomo it declared his son Yoritomo to have the blessing and protection of the kami._

**AN:**

Posting this now is not particularly satisfying. I was hoping to update Kindred before posting this. But I have a case of the carpe diems after my car spun out on the ice completely out of control.

Sorry it's just an interlude after all this time. No predictions on when the next chapter comes out. I have my fingers on a couple of things and nothing is too certain after my current work getting Kindred updated.

Oh and for PDJ news there is now a Project Dark Jade C2. Shadow of the Titans seems a good bet in the near future. But I also have a special surprise planned for February in addition to everything else. And updating DX…

New Years Resolution number 3, freaking finish at least one story this year!


	18. In Darkness Dwells

**Author's Note: **Well this one fought me near every step, hopefully it is better than I fear. But here it is anyway with the usual disclaimer; I do not, never have, and most likely never will own Jackie Chan Adventures.

_Betaed by: _Zim'mostloyalservant

* * *

**PDJ Proudly Presents:**

"Queen of All Oni"

CHAPTER XIII

**In Darkness Dwells**

OR

_It's A Wide World of Weird_

It was a red and weary sun Jade looked up at. It seemed the treated silk that shielded her eyes allowed her to stare into it.

The blindfold-like strip had been too narrow for her taste, easily yanked out of place in a hypothetical fight. So now it was more like a bandanna, covering her eyes and the scar that marked Ikazuki's hex across her brow. Blue to match her skin, it gave her an intimidating appearance she hoped Jackie would appreciate, but Tohru most of all.

Her vision was muddled somewhat by it, a fair price to pay for her closed eyes receiving something closer to darkness. She had not appreciated the luxury of being able to cut off her sight until sight had become inescapable without putting something to her face.

A human would see darkness and smoke-like mist spreading before them, she was sure. But her eyes, even obscured, made out the layers of shadow drifting in their shades on whispering winds.

"How did I get here?" Jade asked the red sun. It gave no answer, to her relief and frustration. She had the strange impression it very much wanted to set, and rest in the way the suns of legend would. But this place had no horizon to retreat behind. So instead it hung forlornly, giving the best weary red glow it could muster.

Musings on astrology were cut short as Jade's drifting brought her into something unexpected.

A city. She didn't know when she had entered it, and oddly that did not bother her. The shadows drifted about like a thick fog, weaving through alleys and spilling out of empty windows.

Jade realized she must have been drifting down some grand avenue, or perhaps a dry canal? What she could see of the architecture was beautiful, fine classical Japan. Though she knew, with the strangeness she attributed to Kaito's demise, the usual ornaments and charms against evil were absent.

But this did not feel like any of cities she had ever visited, and she had grown up in a city and walked more in her short life than most people who lived to old age. This was not the feeling of a city – it was the same as Shendu's palace, and every ruin Jackie had ever taken her to.

Much better preserved than Shendu's palace, which she attributed to a gut feeling that there was no weather here, save for the wind. But it was a frail preservation, more to do with a lack of anything to bring the ruins down than some enduring strength in the structures.

It had been grand once, she thought. As the wind blew through with some vigor, the shadows swirled. For a moment she was certain the shadows formed into a silhouette of a trio of cavalry men, banners flying from their back as they rode side by side, a glimpse of some grand army on parade. It was gone so quick she could not be sure it wasn't just a trick of her abused eyes.

But it made sense for the vision to be real; there was magic at work here. And with magic, the memories of the past could bleed into the present. How many events great and small had played out on this road now covered in shadows like grass and dirt reclaiming ancient highways?

"Look on my works ye mighty, and despair," Jade quoted someone she could not recall. The quote felt incomplete, some vital piece missing, yet appropriate for this tomb she had stumbled upon.

"A tomb? Yes, but also a vessel, the past linking to the future," a voice whispered.

"Who's there?!" Jade snapped. She reached for her fans, only to find them missing from her belt.

The shadows before her parted, peeling back on themselves like waves of smoke. It revealed a hill of rugged dark gray stones, split by a wide stone staircase carved into the rock. It led high up to the hilltop, where a large shrine stood, red columns supporting walls of painted blue with a black tile roof, a broken door standing wide like a toothless mouth.

"Your past.

"Your future," two more voices whispered.

"Future? I decide my future!" Jade insisted, trying to gather shadow magic in her hands. Light, tinkling laughter answered her as the pooling shadow ran through her hands like water.

"So young and brash.

"Much to learn, more than ancient writings can teach.

"When the student is ready, the teachers will be revealed," the women whispered again.

The shadows closed about Jade, swirling. She held her arms up defensively as the wind kicked up.

"Beware," a man's voice whispered into her ear. Jade twisted her head to see this intruder, and her eyes opened.

Blinking behind her sleeping mask, Jade felt out around her. The hotel bed, the mattress ripped from previous nights. The trouble with claws; when it came to sleeping, it seemed she couldn't have nice things.

Sighing, Jade sat up, scratching at her scalp.

"Your sleep was troubled, my Queen," Left stated nearby. Yawning, Queen Jade nodded, tapping at the sleeping mask.

"When isn't it anymore? How did Blankman's meeting go?" Jade asked. Sniffing the air, she smiled at the scent of breakfast as she heard Right cross the room.

"He hasn't come back yet. I would assume negotiations are ongoing," Left told her as Right placed the food-laden tray next to his Queen.

"He had better take care of the hold up. I don't want any outside complications meddling with the descent," Jade said. Eyes still covered, she felt out a bowl of cereal and picked it up, taking a long drink from the bowl.

_Elsewhere:_

Blankman blinked his eyes against the bright sunlight filtering through the windows that gave him a limited but still fine view of the Mexican capital. Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to those sharing the room with him.

"I feel we are suffering a bit of a miscommunication," Blankman remarked. He was sitting opposite a group of five well-dressed men at a darkly varnished wooden table. The men varied in dress style and age, from borderline casual name brand to formal evening ware, and early thirties to late seventies. The table was polished well enough that Blankman could look into its reflection and see that the well-dressed but tie-less thug holding the pistol to the back of his head needed a shave.

The eldest of the gangsters sat in the center of the group. Leaning back in his chair while the others rested at least one arm on the table, he gave the impression of distinction. Whereas the others all wore black or dark blue, the elder was clad entirely in white, from his fedora to his tie and every piece of his three-piece suit. Time had bleached his hair and beard to match, his dark brown eyes standing out harshly against the ensemble.

The elder criminal picked up a revolver that had been resting on the table before him. Turning it over in gloved hands, he inspected it.

"A St. Etienne 8mm revolver, better known as a Lebel revolver. A French weapon made during the first quarter of the century. Mechanically tight, highly durable, very accurate, and even designed to allow maintenance without the need for extensive disassembly. But very weak for a service revolver, such low striking power.

"Though this one has been customized, and by more than is apparent to the eyes – you've inscribed runes, right here.

"Why not just get a better gun?" The elderly boss inquired.

"That gun and I have a history. I see a bit of myself in its ascension from standard issue to uniquely gifted," Blankman answered. The answer seemed to satisfy the elder, who put the gun down as a much younger man with slicked back black hair leaned forward.

"Fact is, Senor Blankman, we have a policy on your type.

"Americans are ignorant of the old ways, but Mexico has a deep history of such. Not only what was left by the times before Cortez, but trash that made the crossing," the young man said.

"Since before Mexico gained her freedom, those of us who have dwelled in the shadows have maintained certain rules. For the benefit of patria and business, certain rules of mutual respect are a necessity," another boss spoke up, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Some, like the Molina and Yakuza, embrace mystic filth, thinking it can be controlled; others remain stubbornly naïve. From the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego, we are not so foolish."

"Not such a widespread belief," Blankman remarked bluntly.

"We do not cooperate in much, we do not agree in much, but we agree you people are no good. Where your kind gets sway, chaos erupts and poverty comes to all but those who scrape for the obscene powers. And in Mexico City we have a particular rule – we agree to not meddle with _that_ church," another added.

"Gentleman, you are closed minded. But I admire your commitment to maintaining a degree of principal and restraint in a field sorely lacking both. Indeed, your determination to thrive even as you deny yourselves useful tools is admirable.

"But there is a question you should ask yourselves.

"Each of you, save for the Cuban, has two semi-automatic pistols on your persons. You have ten men in the floor below us well armed and ready. Eight more outside the door. A man with consecrated silver bullets loaded in a revolver in the closet to my left. Sixteen additional men around the building, counting the three mercenaries on the roof ready to enter through the window behind you.

"And finally, this gentleman holding a gun to my head. Oh, and I should mention you have my gun there," Blankman told them. The gangsters exchanged uneasy looks.

The Cuban, the elder, eased back the hammer on the modified French revolver and pointed it at Blankman.

"I did not hear a question," he told the hostage.

"Doesn't it worry you gentleman, that I know all of this, and I am _not_ worried?" Blankman asked them plainly.

**XXX**

The Cuban leaned against the window, watching as Blankman ducked into the cab. He was mourning the loss of that fine firearm internally. Customs were a passion of his, the art in seeing a mass produced model become a signature work of art.

His musings were interrupted by one of his young colleagues.

"So, when do we hit them for real?" the young man asked.

"We do not, we keep to the deal," the Cuban answered, digging in a pocket.

"That will make us look weak. No, we already do, letting that magician bastard walk out of here like he was a boss," the young man pressed. Thankfully, the others were silent.

"You are young, and therefore at least part fool. You get old in this business by many things, but two only come with age. One, knowing when you can't afford to look weak. And two, knowing when there is nothing to gain by sticking out your neck.

"He is not the type that you cross lightly, and we cannot dismiss his mistress might be cut from the same cloth. Letting them pilfer from the taboo is not breaking it. Either the one who guards destroys them, or they succeed, and a piece of darkness is removed from our city.

"It's not worth the potential loss on someone just passing through either way," the Cuban remarked, popping a mint into his mouth.

_Later:_

"So then, these are your made men?" the officer asked, indicating the spread of photos spread on the white table. He was a tall gangly middle-aged man with no hair on top of his head even as salt and pepper hair persisted around his ears.

The J-Team, minus El Toro, was spread out across the small hotel room. Well, most of them. Uncle was out of sight, having claimed the bathroom to prepare a spell for Tohru, while Tohru himself meditated on the clues regarding the tablet. Leaving Jackie to take the other chair at the table.

"Tohru gets willies from Oni, Tohru was entrusted with scrolls by Sages! Not us, him! If there is more to be found, it will be him who finds it!" Uncle had insisted on the matter of Tohru not contributing much at the moment.

Viper, for her part, was playing cards with a bored Paco, both seated on top of a maroon covered bed. It was odd having him around without El Toro about, Viper thought. But the luchadore had to prepare for his match.

Jackie picked up one of the photos, one showing Ratso trying on an oversized sombrero with bells dangling from it.

"Yes, Ratso and Chow. They worked for the Dark Hand originally," Jackie told him, returning the photo.

"I had heard the Dark Hand was finito. Good riddance. But this new syndicate is… strange.

"Captain Black mentioned a little girl is leading it, some kind of prodigy they are saying now. And Ramirez confirmed a girl has been spotted nearby, accompanying someone called Blankman. Her _capo_, the informants are saying," the middle-aged man continued.

"Blankman? That's news to me. What about the girl?" Jackie pressed.

"Almost nothing. She wears black, her hands always tucked into pockets, and her face wrapped up in a blue scarf with sunglasses over her eyes. Can't even tell what color she is, may not even be a girl it occurs to me," the officer admitted. Jackie gave a small smile at the word choice. At least Jade was showing a little discretion rather than causing a panic by parading her current species.

"This is where they have been spotted," the officer went on. He pulled out a city map with Xs marked on it. They were fairly spread out, save for one tight cluster.

"Any pictures of this Blankman?" Jackie asked.

"No, oddly enough the pictures all ended up at terrible angles or with glare. One even had a bird fly into the photographer's face. Is it magic?" the officer asked.

"Why do you insist on asking questions, when you won't be willing to hear the answers?" a deep voice interrupted. The door swung the rest of the way open, revealing a broad set young man with a goatee, messy black hair, khaki pants, and a light blue shirt under a tan jacket.

"Jackie Chan, meet Daniel Ramirez, private investigator. From what Captain Blank tells me, Ramirez is to Mexico City much like you are to your San Francisco," the officer said, getting to his feet.

"I shall leave you colorful characters to it, then?" the officer asked Ramirez.

"Please," Ramirez said, walking over to the table.

"Uh, actually…" Jackie began, but the officer had already made his exit.

"Senor Chan, you are, I understand, an archeologist by trade?" Ramirez asked, looking through the photos of the Enforcers.

"Profession actually, but yes," Jackie answered.

"I was a member of the police force as a detective, before my methods and refusal to keep quiet on certain theories forced me out. I may no longer be an officer of the law, but I remain a devoted servant of its principals, Mr. Chan.

"I understand you have a history with this Shadow Hand, especially this Infante Diablo, as the underworld is dubbing her. But this is _my_ city, and I will not be bending over backwards to accommodate you if this matter gets out of hand," Ramirez said, tossing the photos aside to pick up the map.

"Her name is Jade," Viper said. Getting up, she walked over to stand beside Jackie, watching the man look over the map critically.

"Good to know, Miss Viper," he snapped. He held up a hand, forestalling any reply, as he continued to look over the papers on the table.

"Yes, no need for introductions. I am well aware Captain Black has let pragmatism lead him far enough afield to allow a famed thief to walk his streets with impunity. Small wonder he needs to rely on Senor Chan and outside agents to do his job," Ramirez glared over the map.

"You shouldn't condemn what you don't understand," Viper told him evenly. The investigator gave a bark of laughter at that.

"Ah, if only you knew the irony of the word choice. No need to worry, you are not in my jurisdiction, so sadly I cannot throw you into the cell your crimes have earned for you.

"And I suppose the boy will be accompanying us into the lions' den? Why not make a disgrace of the operation before the first foot hits the ground?" Ramirez rolled his eyes.

"No/Probably," Jackie and Viper spoke in tandem. Jackie glared at Viper, who shrugged in response.

"Hey, I'm just being realistic," Viper told Jackie.

"Inspector, we may be a strange group, but we've achieved a lot in the past. This is a winning team," Tohru said, getting up from the floor. He met the smaller man's gaze.

"You know me, I imagine. If you want Viper in jail… well, my crimes were far worse. I tried to kill Jade a number of times, now I count her as one of my best friends. Understand this – I would gladly accept the worst punishments I could receive for my past crimes if it would free her from the dark forces that have led her down this path.

"I was a criminal because I made terrible choices. Jade is not a criminal; her fate has been hijacked by darkness. The choices are not hers," Tohru told him.

"Well, at the very least we have a real man on our side," Ramirez said. His expression was stern, but he held out a hand to Tohru, who took it.

"I think he just insulted you a bit Jackie," Viper remarked.

"Now, what is this riddle?" Ramirez asked Tohru. The giant recited it in English, as Ramirez looked back at the map. The man's face paled as the description was given.

"_Tabernac!_ She means to breach the Lost Cathedral of Cortez," Ramirez cursed.

"What?" Jackie asked.

"I will explain on the way! We must move quickly, or Hell may wash over this city," Ramirez said, flinging the door open.

"Uncle is ready for Hell!" Uncle exclaimed, bursting out of the bathroom with a dripping glowing sutra.

"…Who are you?" Ramirez asked, looking askance at the old man with the wet paper and dried lizard.

_Earlier, Elsewhere in Mexico City:_

Blankman got out of the cab, getting a two-fingered salute from the driver due to the generous tip. The pudgy man wore his sports coat open for once, and carried a duffel bag in place of his usual briefcase.

He walked forward, toward the empty lot between a gun shop and an abandoned funeral home. The consistency of the type of businesses flanking this blank spot on the historical maps had aided in locating it.

The crumbling cathedral did not fade into sight or flash into it. It was simply _there_ one moment, having not been there a moment before. Blankman stepped off the grass and weeds onto the weathered stone steps leading up to the broken wooden double doors.

The inside smelled of rotten wood, pews lying in broken ruin. Dust laid thick beyond the aisle, the fading sunlight playing merrily through the intact windows of stained-glass, their charm lost on the rubble, giving it the look of inflamed flesh.

But still, despite the onset of decay, ten stain-glass saints looked down with disapproval, their vigil against what lay beneath unbroken. Blankman adjusted his glasses, a salute of sorts to their dedication, as he walked around the altar.

The altar was stone, oddly enough, a black stain in the shape of a man burned into it. Some fool who had reached for the fire and been burned, he concluded. It mattered little – his business was further in. He ducked through the hole that had been knocked into the masonry behind the altar, florescent light pouring through it.

The chamber beyond was half the size of the place of worship. Made all the smaller by the circular pit dominating its center, several meters in diameter. Rust on the stone rim marked the grate they had torn away, but not thrown away; blessed iron was valuable, after all.

The Queen stood in the only corner not occupied by a light, her upper face covered by her scarf, her hood pulled up, leaving her face hidden in shadows. Her bodyguards stood to each side and in front of her.

"Hey Mr. Blankman, everything is set. The winch is ready to go," Chow said. The two Enforcers were testing the tripod spread over the pit with a winch situated in its center, connected to a large coil of chain and an engine.

Walking over to the nearest pole, Blankman tested it with a sharp kick; the metal did not shift from its bolts, nor did he flinch from kicking the steel.

"Uh, anyone else a bit nervous about a big scary hole someone barred up and bricked over?" Ratso asked, joining Blankman. The Enforcer was wearing a spelunking helmet, and turned on its mounted flashlight. The light did nothing to piece the depths of the pit as he looked down.

Blankman reached into his coat and pulled out a flare. Without a word, he ignited the stick and tossed it down the pit. The sparking red glow shrank, faded, and vanished as the humans watched.

"'Well of Darkness', indeed. And something sleeps below, something a lot of people went to great effort to ensure was never disturbed," Blankman remarked as the Enforcers exchanged nervous looks.

"Ohh, very scary. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet Blankman," Queen Jade said. She floated forward, watching him from behind the cloth that concealed her eyes. Blankman met her with a bored look before putting his bag down on the floor.

"No. However, before we descend, we should make proper preparation," Blankman said, unzipping the bag. He pulled out another helmet, putting it on, followed by a dust mask he secured over his mouth before tossing two more to the Enforcers.

"I believe you gentleman are familiar with these?" Blankman asked, tossing then two more items. The criminals scrambled to catch the objects and stood stunned, realizing what they had. Grinning, the two ignited the electro-swords.

"Huh, haven't seen those in a while," Jade commented.

"Strange," Right remarked, frowning.

"Oh baby, did you miss daddy as much as daddy missed you?" Ratso smiled in the light of the blades.

"Sweet," Chow said, the light catching in his glasses.

"Glad you like them; I, myself, am a bit more old fashioned," Blankman said. Standing up, he pulled a rapier sheathed in dark leather with a silver guard from the bag. Jade rolled her eyes as Blankman secured the sword on his belt.

"Fine, fine, let's get going already. The tablet calls me, and what I'm worried about is this 'son of the sun' that is supposed to watch over it with eyes that never close," Jade told them.

"Then let us go. Mr. Chow, secure the descent hooks," Blankman said. He pulled out his revolver to check if it was loaded; this time, the wizard was ready for a fight.

**XXX**

"Waaah!" Jackie screamed as the black Honda took a corner. At the speed they were going, they crossed the dividing line, nearly hitting a delivery truck. The J-Team was crammed inside, Ramirez behind the wheel, calm despite the distress of his passengers.

"According to legend, the cathedral was built over a doorway to Hell. Cortez sacked the temple Aztecs had built around it – some say for human sacrifice to the demons within. After his conquests, Cortez still feared the pit that destroying the temple exposed. He funded the construction of a cathedral out of his own pocket, hoping a holy house would seal the evil.

"The first priest there went mad, murdering people in the confessional before killing himself. Three priests resided there to disastrous ends, before the Church sent some strange monks to take up residence.

"The cathedral vanished one morning, like it had never been. People hoped it meant the evil was purged at last. But others think the Church was only able to hide it in the hopes it would poison no one else.

"The black arts have long been fixated on finding it and using its power. Between the Church in the old days and the mafia now, they generally end up dead before getting close," Ramirez explained as they hurled through the streets.

"But you know where it is," Viper added, holding tight to the back of the driver's seat.

"Si, an old enemy of mine, by the name of Andre, tried to breach the seal in the church. I actually failed to stop him. Fortunately, the fool bit off more than he could chew," Ramirez answered. The car screeched to a halt as the investigator hit the brake, knocking everyone else round inside.

"We are here," Ramirez announced. Getting out of the car as the others stumbled out, he pointed to an empty lot.

"What do you mean, he bit off more than he could chew?" Jackie demanded, getting out of the car on wobbly legs.

"Oh, he tried to force open the blessed iron sealing the pit. He ended up as charcoal," Ramirez told Jackie.

The archaeologist bolted towards the empty lot. He didn't stop to be surprised when a gloomy gray structure popped up in front of him, taking the steps by the threes.

Jackie ignored the gloomy air hanging in the ruined sanctuary. Even the sight of the man-shaped char mark that was probably Andre didn't stop him as he rushed toward the opening. He sensed something dangerous, and he knew Jade was rushing recklessly toward it.

The J-Team behind him, Jackie rushed through the opening knocked in the wall, and pulled up short, catching sight of Jade herself waiting for him.

"Jackie! And here I thought you'd be tardy to the party," Jade laughed. She was hanging from a chain that dangled down into the much-aligned pit. Jackie's protectiveness kicked in, and he stepped forward with an admonishment on his lips. It was cut off as Left and Right dropped from the ceiling between him and her.

"Jade, what's with your face?" Viper asked. The question surprised Jackie, though in the light from the corners he realized he couldn't see Jade's eyes glowing, hidden behind a scarf covering her upper face in blue.

"I could say the same about your hair, Viper, but I know the answer," Jade smirked.

"Cute, kid. Taking my rejection to petty levels?" Viper crossed her arms, fixing Jade with a scolding look. Jade wilted a bit under the look but rallied, pulling herself up straighter against the chain.

"Don't treat me like some kid you can put over your knee. I intend to play this out to its natural conclusion, but with that attitude you may not make it there regardless.

"But enough talk, the tablet is below, my men are already looking for it. As ever, it's a race for the object of power. Follow me into the darkness if you dare Jackie!" Jade laughed. Jade began chanting under her breath and released her grip, shadows swirling about her as she plummeted down the pit. Left leapt backward, grabbing the chain and sliding down it.

"Hey, barber!" Viper said. Right paused as he prepared to spring.

"We have unfinished business," Viper told him, putting a fist to her palm. The handsome Shadowkhan watched her for a second before giving her a closed lip smile.

"We most certainly do have unfinished business. But it's not just between you and I. Now come along, the party is downstairs," he told them. A shot rang out as Right leapt into the air and disappeared down the pit. Ramirez cursed, putting his pistol down, hurrying to the pit's edge to look down it.

"This is further than Andre got," Ramirez admitted.

"This must be how the Enforcers got down," Jackie said, inspecting the machine.

While Uncle talked about the willies he was getting from the pit, Jackie and Ramirez figured out the mechanism, which was soon reeling the chain back up for their own descent. Viper watched them, keeping a weather eye on Paco, making sure he stayed away from the edge of the pit o'doom. Tohru put a hand on her shoulder, his face troubled.

"Jade's face?" Viper asked.

"And her hands – she had claws. I suppose El Toro assumed we knew," Tohru said.

"Hey, chin up Big Guy, you're proof of redemption against stacked odds," Viper told him. He smiled a bit, but a wary look asserted itself.

"What of the Shadowkhan's words? If he didn't take your hair for Jade's petty revenge…" Tohru began.

"Relax, this is Jade we're talking about. She may be talented, but that only takes you so far. Remember all those exploding wands? Besides, she doesn't have it in her to take things too far, even now," Viper assured him. Seeing the boys having trouble figuring out how this was supposed to get them down the hole, she rolled her eyes and set out to lend a thief's touch.

"I hope you're right. This feels different," Tohru muttered. Staring into the darkness below, he could feel something staring back at him.

**XXX**

El Toro finished his final warm up stretches and took a deep breath. He looked around at the dressing room; they all blended together after a time, but still the nostalgia was nearly dizzying.

It was a lot nicer than his first match – after all, this was a championship, and that first match had been barely legal. Actually, now that he thought on it, that first dressing room had been nothing more than a curtained off corner!

Taking a seat in front of the dresser, he looked at himself in the mirror as he took a sip of water from a glass. He had been wrestling without the talisman to get here, but this was the first time the gravity really weighed down on him.

He had said it to Paco, and to those friends who knew his shameful secret, that this would prove he was worthy to be called a champion.

He was not an old man, but he could see the signs of aging even through the mask. He was strong, strong enough to grapple with Tohru and could fight at the side of men like Jackie. But his opponent was young, and hungry for the glory of his first championship.

That young luchadore saw him as the one blocking him from glory. And if El Toro Fuerte, the man hailed as the greatest luchadore to ever live, fell before him… Well he could do nothing else and call himself a luchadore among luchadore.

"And he probably thinks I have nothing left to prove," El Toro spoke aloud.

Getting up, he walked to the hanger his cape was on. He fingered the fabric, frowning a bit at the object.

He had never cared for it too much. Well, no, he had enjoyed the extra showmanship in his younger days. But it was what came after the cape went off that brought one glory.

'But not pride, not for me. There is no pride, or true glory, in winning with magic that makes you unbeatable. But after tonight, I will have true glory and pride,' El Toro assured himself.

Then his phone rang. Pulled from his thoughts, he hurried to the hanger his suit was on and pulled the well-worn phone from a pocket.

"Hola?" El Toro answered.

"El Toro! We found Yade! But she's gone underground after the evil tablet!" Paco practically shouted into the phone. Pulling it away from his ear, El Toro listened for an opening as Paco gave directions to an urban legend. Why did all the bad stories seem to be coming true lately?

"Paco! You are not to go down the pit of evil!" El Toro commanded, jumping on Paco stopping for breath. He could almost hear Paco smiling.

"I know I will have to wait for you to arrive and show you how to get down the pit. You would figure it out of course, but you can't prove yourself the greatest if they defeat Yade before you get here," Paco agreed, surprisingly.

"…

"Paco, my match is about to start," El Toro said finally.

"I know, but Yade needs the full J-Team to rescue her from the dark forces," Paco pressed on.

"Paco, this is the championship, my first real chance to win the belt with honor," El Toro answered reluctantly.

"But Jackie…"

"He has wizards, Tohru, and that Ramirez man from the papers. Viper too! But this is my chance to-"

"Win a belt. El Toro, is winning a belt more important than fighting dark forces?" Paco asked forlornly.

"No. But I'm not… Paco, I am a luchadore who won his glory on a lie. This is my chance to redeem my honor in lucha libre. What can I bring to Jackie's side he doesn't have already?" El Toro found himself pleading.

"…You taught me that what separates luchadores from mere wrestlers wasn't the traditions, or even the masks; it was the honor they were built upon. If that honor says a belt is more important than Yade's soul, I don't WANT IT!

"Even if I can't do hardly anything, I'd rather help Jackie than hold a selfish fraud's towel!" Paco sobbed into the phone.

"Paco, do not go down that pit. It's too – Paco? Paco!?" El Toro yelled into the phone as the dial tone droned back at him. The phone fell to the floor as he slumped into his chair.

The door opened and the announcer, a middle-aged man in a glittering gold suit with sunglasses, leaned in.

"El Toro Fuerte, are you ready for the come back match of the century?!" the flamboyantly dressed man asked. Clearly he was done with his own warm ups.

El Toro looked at his masked face in the mirror, and stood up.

"It's time for a whole new chapter senor," El Toro told him. The man positively gleamed as El Toro walked past him, the sound of the crowd filtering through the arena building.

**XXX**

"That was a rush, and now _we_ need to rush. There is no way Jackie is getting a single piece of the Teachings, understood?" Jade told her men as she floated to the front of their column. They were moving through a very wide and strangely smooth cavern, no stalactites or -mites despite the dripping water all around them.

Blankman turned toward her, stepping out of his place at the head of the line. The others pressed on while he faced the Queen alone. The light on top of his head shining, she looked to the side, pulling her hood low. If Blankman noticed, he gave no sign.

"I understand you have… a special regard for your foes. This will be my first time engaging them. Do you have any specific orders?" Blankman asked.

"…No, feel free to go all out. You may be good, but they are better. If you're lucky, you will slow them down and distract them for my Shadowkhan," Jade told him. After she floated past, Blankman allowed himself a small frown under his medical mask.

If he was going to say anything, it was forgotten as the Shadow Hand turned a corner, and the earth opened up before them.

"This can't exist under a city unnoticed. We are on mystic territory," Blankman said as the others gaped.

The cavern was massive – a stadium could fit in it with room to spare. The vaulted ceiling high overhead was adorned with large stalactites glowing pale green, casting faint light over the scene. The chamber spread in a roughly circular fashion, boulders positioned along the walls with too much regularity to be natural, specks of gold sparkling in the faint light. The chamber floor was dominated by a forest of stalagmites spreading below them, broken by gaping black pits reminiscent of the one they had descended to reach here.

And in the center rose a spire of stone, carved into a coiling pillar. A beam of light shone down, gold and radiant, splitting the darkness as it cleaved the gloom; alighting on the apex of the spire.

"That's it. The tablet rests under that light," Jade hissed with anticipation, hand stretched out as if she could grab it.

"Jade!" Jackie's voice echoed behind them.

"We should be going. This place is perilous, my Queen," Left said, drawing a sword.

"In a moment. Why waste our time on Jackie when the locals can carry some of the weight?" Jade asked. Taking out her fans, she opened them and stirred up the air as she chanted.

Blankman looked around the room, frowning. With a flick of the wrist, he was holding a deck of cards. Cutting the deck, he drew two cards out at seeming random; they glowed in his hands.

"That may not be the-" Blankman began.

"Xai xing!" Jade finished her spell. Slashing the air with her fans, she sent crescents of shadow flying through the air. They struck one of the nearest boulders; a design in gold flared across the boulder before fading. With a rumble, the boulder rolled away, revealing the tunnel it had been plugging.

"And we leave Jackie to deal with-"

Rumble. Rumble. Rumble.

"Wha?" Jade slipped as _all_ the boulders flared, faded, and rolled.

"It appears the seals were interlocking. Nigh impossible to break from the inside, but break one and they all break," Blankman supplied. Moans, clicks, and high-pitched shrieks rang across the cavern as shapes began to shamble, scurry, and hop into the pale light.

"Uhhh, run," Jade ordered, dashing down the slope before them. The nervous Enforcers, stoic wizard, and Shadowkhan followed her down into the forest of stone, toward the spire.

**XXX**

"This place shouldn't exist," Ramirez told them as they walked down the passage. The descent had been uneventful, Paco skulking at being left behind, followed by a disconcerting suspended descent into black.

The earlier urgency seemed to have leaked out. Now it was a certainty there would be battle, and a certainty it would await their arrival.

"Magic can bend reality if it chooses, and there is _greeeat_ bad magic here," Uncle told them, shining his flashlight around.

"I know; I deal with magic a lot. But still… I'm just grateful the crime bosses keep it a bit in check," Ramirez commented, shining his own flashlight around. Uncle huffed something about ignorance.

If the investigator was going to rebut he forgot as a rumbling shook the cave. The tremor was light enough, and passed in a moment.

"That can't be good," Viper said.

"Dark forces are stirring. Jade has disturbed something in this place," Tohru said. He and Jackie exchanged glances and ran ahead.

The two stopped as the passage suddenly opened into a gallery of pits, cavern mouths, and stalagmites… Which had giant red-eyed insects, spiders, and zombies of all eras beginning to fill it.

"Waaah!" the two men screamed. The others arrived behind them, Uncle gaping before pulling out his fish while Ramirez cursed in Spanish before pulling out his weapons.

"Bugs. I did not sign on for giant bugs," Viper hissed. The nearest monsters turned their attention to them.

"I hate Mondays too," Ramirez commented.

A fat male zombie wearing a big outdated camera and blue Hawaiian print shirt turned to face the group. Raising its right arm, it pointed at them as its jaw dropped. It let out an unearthly shriek, before Tohru's fist connected with its face, practically vaporizing its head.

The body crumbled to dust, and with a war cry Tohru lashed out, striking the midsection of a spider the size of Great Dane against the rock it was on. The spider practically exploded into dust under the force.

"Jade!" Tohru said and pointed into the cavern by way of explanation.

"Wait, Tohru! They might surround you!" Jackie called after his friend as the giant tore a swath in the undead horde. Guns fired and magic blasts tore through the air, sending dark creatures reeling and crumbling.

"Jackie, follow Tohru, we will follow after," Uncle ordered. Jackie gave the old man a look, but nodded; leaping onto the nearest stones, he began to travel over the enemy.

"Senorita, behind me!" Ramirez said. Viper ignored him, walking up to a drooling zombie dressed in a tan poncho. With a shriek, it lunged at her. The thief hardly seemed to move, but the zombie's head separated from its body without it ever touching her. The body crumbled to dust while the head rolled on the ground, moaning.

"No need for chivalry, detective," Viper said. With a frown, she stomped down on the zombie's head, pounding it into dust.

**XXX**

The Shadow Hand stopped on a low rung of the spire, watching the battle begin to unfold with flashes of light and gunfire. The two Enforcers held the un-ignited swords as they inched closer to the edge.

"Wow, that's a lot of bad bugs," Chow gulped.

"Zombies too," Ratso added.

"And far worse is stirring, I fear," Blankman finished, turning his attention from the battle below to Jade.

"Hmm, just be glad you're up here then," Jade shrugged her shoulders.

"Do you have a plan to get us out without crossing the infested areas? Or any reason to think evil can't climb, right up the path we are on?" Blankman asked.

"…Shut up. Besides – one, you have my magic, two, we have two badass Shadowkhan, and three, whatever you can do," Jade ticked her points off with her fingers.

"CREEEE!" the shriek sent them all to their knees. Looking up, they saw a giant red-eyed horn beetle staring down at them from the next rung up. Jade opened a fan while two cards slipped out of Blankman's sleeves into his hands.

The beetle launched itself, scattering their group and shaking the ground with its impact. Jade's shadow blast broke over it, doing no visible damage. Turning to face Blankman, its mouth opened, a black tongue lashing out in a blur.

The two cards Blankman held burst into blue flame, which the tongue collided with. The flame shattered like stain-glass, and the wizard was sent reeling back.

"Behind!" Left barked as he and Right jumped between the Queen and the beetle.

"Raaaah!" Ratso yelled, igniting his sword and running up to the creature. Closing its mouth with a clack, it turned one red eye toward the Enforcer, who drove the glowing blade through it.

"Ahhhh!

"…

"Did that just work?" Ratso asked as he realized he had rammed the sword up to the hilt into the beetle's head. The monster's legs gave out under it as its remaining eyes darkened.

"Way to go Ratso!" Chow cheered.

"Lucky shot," Jade remarked as Ratso pulled the blade out and held it high over head.

"I am Ratso Calvonni, slayer of evil bugs!" he declared with a beaming grin. Which they realized was getting the beam from the beam of light leaking from the corpse. Followed by another, and another, as a crackling sound filled the air.

"Take cover!" Blankman yelled, running back toward the group.

With a bang, the bug exploded, unleashing a wave of light, sending the screaming Enforcers flying off the spire.

"Catch!" Blankman called. Two cards appeared, held tight between his fingers as he reached the edge. Leading foot scrapping the edge of the drop, he threw the cards out.

They struck the two men in the chest, covering them in a yellow glow.

"Seal of the Third Spiral, Cant 17, merciful descent!" Blankman declared, slamming his hands together. The pair's fall slowed immensely, with them actually stopping the screaming as their descent became apparent.

"Alright! You the man!" Chow pumped his fist. Ratso joined in the cheer, only for them to notice Blankman was not smiling. The suited man pointed down. The two criminals looked between their feet, and saw one of the zombie spewing pits right below them.

"AHHHH!" the two screamed, trying to swim through the air before they both passed down through the mouth of the pit.

Blankman stood on the path's edge, looking down into the pit the Enforcers had descended into. He could make out the flashing lights of the electro-swords, and hear the monsters moaning and howling. A crunching sound drew his attention back to the giant beetle; Right was in the process of crushing the surprisingly small, and severed, head under foot.

"Just in case," Right told the wizard.

"Well, those two idiots will survive, they have a knack for living," Queen Jade said. Blankman glanced up to where the beam of light could be seen despite the awkward angel.

"Yes," Blankman answered simply.

"Well, no need to dilly dally, Jackie won't be slowed down much by these wimps. The wizards, twerp, and guest will probably stay behind to let Jackie and Viper proceed to a confrontation with me. And I'd rather have what's mine before he gets here," Jade said, resuming her walk up the curving path. Left took a place in front and to her left, swords drawn, while Right fell in directly behind her. Jade paused after a few steps, seeing Blankman standing with his back to her.

"Coming?" Jade asked irritably.

"Actually, I believe I will also stay behind for the purpose of engaging a foe. Do you wish me to hold back with him?" Blankman asked again, putting his hands into his jacket pockets.

Jade giggled, putting a hand to her mouth. Her lips pulled back in a fang-filled smile.

"Hold back? Blankman, you may be strong, but there is no mortal that can beat Jackie. Feel free to go all out; you can have the ice packs on me when we head back," Jade laughed.

The Shadowkhan rounded the spire and were out of sight, and Blankman stood watch, waiting.

**XXX**

Jackie let out a held breath as he looked back down the path. The shrieking, fleet-footed undead… thing, did not come back over the ledge. Hopefully, it was destroyed on impact with the ground below. Otherwise it would be something for Tohru to deal with.

He hoped the giant wizard was alright. He had left him, having just watched the sumo tear two legs off a giant spider. His friend had urged him onward, unable to force his way through the press himself.

"I can't let Jade get more dark magic," Jackie told himself, resuming his run up the spire.

"Jackie Chan," a muffled voice called.

Jackie turned, already in his stance, to face the speaker.

"Wha?" Jackie muttered, seeing the man walking sedately down the path. The spelunker helmet and filter mask made a certain sense, but the impeccable gray sports jacket, red tie, and shiny black shoes where decidedly out of place.

"Who are you?" Jackie asked. The man's eyes moved behind his glasses, giving Jackie the impression the man was smiling.

"Jackie Chan, defeater of demon sorcerers, bane of malevolent inhumans of all stripes, and fated Protector of the Ben Shui Chosen One; it's an honor to finally meet you on the field of battle. I am… your enemy," the stranger said.

Before Jackie could come up with an answer to that, the other man was moving. Jackie brought up a knee, blocking the kick, and deflected the follow up jab. Putting some distance between them as the other man regained his balance, Jackie frowned. Even his arm was tingling from the blow.

He didn't recognize the school, but this man was on Hak Foo's level in skill, if not power.

Blankman pressed his attack, leaning back slightly and sending a sweeping kick at Jackie's shins. It only brushed Jackie's pants, but the awkward dodge left him open for a jabbing punch to land on his chest, followed by two more in rapid succession. Blankman sent a right straight towards the archeologist's face. In a quick motion, Jackie grabbed the oncoming fist and sent the man over him in a throw.

Blankman landed on his back, but twisted, with his elbow sweeping Jackie's feet out from under him. Jackie fell forward, rolling to the side as a polished heel slammed into the stone. Rising, he caught the foot heading for his face and twisted it sharply. The man moved with it rather than letting it break, falling to the ground. Jackie's kick caught him in the left ribs, sending him rolling.

Arresting his progress, Blankman rose to a kneeling position, only for a fist to hit him under his jaw, taking him the rest of the way to his feet and breaking the mask loose. The knee to his gut folded him, leaving him open for the punch to his face. Blankman stumbled back, hitting the wall of the spire.

Wiping blood that was pouring from his nose, Blankman smiled, watching Jackie stand before him in the ready position.

"Very impressive, Mr. Chan. You truly are worthy of your title," Blankman said, reaching into his jacket to pull out a handkerchief.

"Title?" Jackie asked at the enemy cleaned his face. He stood puzzled as the strange man reached into his jacket and replaced the mask displaced by the fight over his nose and mouth.

"Yes, but a moment…" he said. Replacing his handkerchief, he pulled out a revolver and pointed it at Jackie, pulling the hammer back with his thumb.

BANG.

Jackie had already hit the dirt, but he heard the shot impact something in the empty space behind him.

"Waah!" Jackie yelled, looking back to see a black spider the size of a large dog that had been perched on the ledge behind him. A bullet hole glowed silver between its eyes as a red glow faded from those eyes. Silver veins spread from the wound, and with a whoosh, the spider collapsed into dust.

BANG

BANG

BANG

The gun fired three more times, dispatching two more spiders as they peeked out from behind boulders, and some kind of centipede on the inner wall that had been sneaking up behind Blankman.

With a moan, a zombie conquistador rounded the bend, saber lifted high.

BANG

The zombie immediately plopped into dust, leaving only the armor and sword to clatter to the floor.

"My apologies; a moment to reload if you please, in exchange for taking out the trash?" Blankman asked. Jackie stared wide-eyed as the suited man calmly, if quickly, replaced the ammo in his gun. Task done, Blankman returned the weapon to its holster.

"Why didn't you shoot me?" Jackie asked the stranger.

"I have my reasons. Among them is that you deserve better than to be gunned down like that diseased chafe I just dispatched. But they are numerous others and I have my obligations to attend to, so since you are my better in pure martial arts… En garde monsieur!" Blankman declared, drawing his rapier and assuming his stance.

"A sword? Waah!" Jackie asked, before hustling backward as Blankman stabbed at him. The sword weaved and stabbed, trying to pierce Jackie as the man frantically backpedaled. Missing his step, Jackie fell onto his back. Seizing the uneven ground, he pushed himself to the left just enough for the steel tip to sting the stones rather than his face.

The rock he sent up clanged, caught on the broad side of the blade. The opening was enough for Jackie to get to his feet, the blade striking his palm.

Blankman raised an eyebrow at the rock Jackie was holding, and his sword tip embedded in it.

"Excellent improvisation. Your reputation is accurate," Blankman said. With a light twist of his wrist, the rock split in half. The hand was gone before the steel found it.

Retreating, Jackie stopped, picking up the conquistador saber, deflecting Blankman's attempt to pierce his chest.

Steel rang on steel as Jackie was forced back. Blankman pressed his attack, as serene as Jackie was frantic, cuts and lines of blood accumulating as he lightly struck Jackie's arms and legs. With a cry, Jackie came forward, forcing the saber aside. Next thing he knew, he was running past Blankman.

He turned to see his opponent standing and smiling. Blankman tapped his chest with two fingers. Jackie looked to his own chest, where a Z had been slashed out of his shirt.

"Pardon, but I simply could not resist," Blankman apologized, flicking the air with his rapier.

Any reply by Jackie was forestalled as the ground around them began to shake.

_Earlier, Nearby:_

Jade looked around the top of the spire; there was no sign of the guardian. She looked to her bodyguards, who were walking the perimeter of the oddly shaped peak. It was a sort of oval shape, with two large stone spheres embedded in the sides. It reminded her of something, but search her if she knew what.

"Nothing," Right said as he met Left on the far side. Left shook his head likewise before leaping across the platform to return to her side. The leap carried him through the beam of sunlight, which did nothing.

Frowning, Jade walked up to the spot lit by whatever mirror network or spell carried this light down here.

The next piece of the Teachings of Eternal Shadow was literally at her feet. She could feel her bones vibrating in reaction to the magic. It was a pleasant feeling, different from last time. Though come to think of it, she couldn't quite recall how the last tablet made her feel.

"Do you want one of us to take it?" Right asked, snapping Jade from her reverie. Jade shook her head; it was meant to clear her thoughts, but it served as an answer as well.

Kneeling, Jade inspected the edge closest to her. It seemed to be resting in an imprint on the stone. Not a very deep one either, if the first tablet was an indicator.

"The riddle mentioned a son of the sun. We have the sealed darkness it implied running amok. So where is the guardian?" Queen Jade demanded.

"Maybe he expired? Regardless, unless you think Blankman can beat Chan, we will soon have the matter out of our hands, my Queen," Right pointed out. Jade nodded in answer, resting her chin on a fist.

A good point if she had ever heard one. But still, just picking it up? Despite how much she wanted to do just that, it couldn't just be that easy. Then again, she couldn't help but recall her little exchange with the old bastard in white last time.

Reaching out, Jade grabbed the edges and lifted it up. Resting one edge on the ground, she propped it up and finally lifted it clear with a grunt. The weight set her stumbling back a few paces before Left's light hand on her back stabilized her.

"There, noth-" Jade sighed, before cutting herself off.

"Is something wrong, Your Majesty?" Left asked.

"I almost said something that amounted to a premature victory brag. Which in this case is an invite for something very horrible to go wrong," the Queen explained.

"A curse?" Left asked.

"Kind of, but I caught it so we should be good," Queen Jade smiled. Trying to get a grip on the big tablet that didn't result in its weight leaning down on her, she started to purr at having the magic in her grip at last.

Then the orbs to either side of them ignited, bright light flooding out. The space trembled, cracks spreading across the stone.

"WHAT FOOLISH DARKNESS DARES INTRUDE ON MY DOMAIN?" a voice thundered, shaking them through their feet.

"Who said that?" Jade demanded. She set the tablet back down, trying to brace herself as the platform rose and cracked under foot.

Further down the spire, Jackie and Blankman stopped their fight to look up.

"Oh dear," Blankman remarked.

"Snake!" Jackie screamed, pointing at the gleaming snake's head revealed by the falling stones.

The freed head rose up, glancing about the seething darkness, eyes glowing golden in the gloom. A huge tongue slipped out of the mouth and tasted the air. Jade looked to her bodyguards and put a finger to her lips.

'I think we're in a blind spot,' she mouthed.

"I KNOW YOU ARE THERE," the giant snake said.

"Ah crap!" Jade cursed.

"Evil ones! I am the Nameless Son of the Sun, charged with ensuring the evil sealed within this darkness never touches the day again! You have brought forth my wrath. So perish!" the snake roared, tossing his head about. Jade went flying, Left and Right grabbing her from each side under the arms and extending glider sleeves between their free arms.

They landed hard on the floor amidst the pits, watching Jackie and Blankman flee down the collapsing path above them. Collapsing because it seemed the spire encased the giant snake, and it was breaking out.

"Okay, giant snake… I actually have experience with this," Jade assured her minions. With a great crack, nearly half the spire fell away, letting great wings with feathers of near every color unfold and glisten in their own light. The snake reared, displaying its plumage and fangs as tall as her Shadowkhan.

"Ohhh, that actually makes sense," Jade commented, nodding at the feathered serpent. A glow started to gather in the back of the serpent's throat, building in brightness.

"Oh, sure, why not!? Attack his head before he breathes fire!" Jade commanded, running off into the rocks with the tablet.

Left and Right leapt to the side as light erupted from the giant snake's mouth. The beam swept a path over the ground, curving towards them before cutting off. Right appeared at his brother's side, watching as the snake turned his attention to the two men holding swords not far off.

"Any ideas?" Right asked.

"Get on its head and take out the eyes," Left answered.

"Of course, because getting back up there will be so easy," Right said, rolling his red eyes. Left smacked his shoulder and they darted off towards the snake.

**XXX**

"It seems we might want to put this duel on hold, Mr. Chan," Blankman said as they fled down the path. The spire was crumbling behind them, leaving them only a few feet from the oncoming plunge.

"Bad day, bad day!" Jackie shouted with far less composure as they put on speed to stay ahead of the collapse.

Reaching the bottom of the path, Jackie and the well-dressed man skidded to a halt between two of the pits in the open area around the former spire. They looked up at the giant winged serpent.

"I think it just got worse," Blankman remarked to Jackie, pulling out his revolver again.

"Evil ones! Face the fury of the purifying day!" The snake roared, opening its mouth wide.

"I'm not evil!" Jackie objected, while Blankman leaped over the pit. Light surged from the snake's throat; with a scream, Jackie ran between the pits just ahead of the blazing light. Monster hands and appendages reached out to grab him, forcing him to dodge. As he passed the emerging monsters, the light followed him, sending them screaming back into the black depths.

The beam let up and the great serpent closed its mouth. With a swipe of its frame, it destroyed the last of the spire, slithering free and stretching its wings.

"You have trained well, I see. But this dark domain is under my watch, and no darkness shall – Aiyah!" the serpent cried out. Blankman stepped back from the rainbow colored tail, taller than him. The entirety of the clubs royal family was arrayed across it in a circular pattern, glowing bright with magic.

Looking up, he saw the serpent glaring at him with those golden eyes.

"You are not dead," Blankman admitted.

"You are about to be," Nameless said, rearing up, fangs bared.

Blankman turned and ran, leaping clear as the serpent's massive head plowed into the ground, shattering stone. With a hiss, it pulled its head clear and saw the swordsman hanging onto the far ledge of a nearby pit. He was struggling for purchase with his feet, one hand holding the ledge, the other his sword.

Hissing, the feathered serpent opened his mouth letting light pool in his throat. Ninja stars struck his eyes, sending cracks across them.

"Who!?" it hissed as something hit its head. The two Shadowkhan each drew a sword and ran for the eyes. With a roar, the serpent reared up high into the chamber, knocking the two off balance.

Left tried to stab a hold with his sword, but the sword clinked off the scales and he went flying. Holding onto the uneven scales atop the serpent's head, Right watched his brother fall, and grab onto purple fathers in one of the serpent's wings.

"Fools! You dare challenge one set to watch over evil?! You will burn!" Nameless roared.

He turned his head towards the wing Left dangled from, letting loose another blast of light. The Shadowkhan let go, dropping out of the beam's path onto the snake's tail. Drawing his sword, he rushed up it while Nameless roared, shaking his head as Right stabbed ineffectively at another eye.

"Two wrongs make a right?" Jackie wondered, watching the dangerous guardian fight the powerful Shadowkhan.

"Until next time," the fancy man called. Jackie looked in time to see the man in the gray suit vanish back into the pillars.

That was a bit odd.

**XXX**

The zombie raised a withered fist high as its jaw widened unnaturally. A bolt of shadow struck it between the eyes. With a pop it fell onto its back, dissolving into dust.

"Tch, I hate zombies, lamest monster ever!" Queen Jade griped. She was keeling in a copse of the stone forest, the tablet propped against one of the formations. Lifting her face, she sniffed the air – no more unfriendly monsters in the area, for now. Narrowing her eyes, she glanced around the pillars; across the massive cavern she could see the giant snake thrashing about, and make out her bodyguards trying to injure the thing. She withdrew, turning her attention back to the tablet.

"I am the Queen of the Shadowkhan, reveal your secrets to me for they are my right," the Queen commanded. Pressing a hand to the stone, she heard it unlock, and opened it to the first page. Purring deep in her throat, she flipped through the first stone pages. Her smile turned to a scowl, and she slammed it shut.

"Bad day! No healing magic worth mentioning. Never fails, the last one you pick up has the stuff you need.

"No, no, Jade; this is still good. As awesome as being back in fighting form will be, this has what I need to turn the odds around in this little contest," Jade reassured herself.

"So time to round up the boys and- eh?" Jade tilted her head. She thought she heard something over the rumble of the serpent's rampage. It seemed to be gone so she shrugged, straining to pick up the tablet.

Unseen by her, a long scroll of paper glowing green crept along the ground toward her back.

"Come on, up you go!" Jade demanded as the heavy tablet almost toppled her. A deep breath brought something to her senses; Jade dropped the tablet, reaching for her fans.

"Toh-!" Jade shouted as the scroll struck. Swift as an eagle, it wrapped around her arms, pinning them to her side, even as the ends smacked her hands, sending her fans clattering to the stones.

"RUUUU!" Jade screamed as she floated into the air, straining against the bonds.

"Hello Jade," Tohru said, emerging from behind one of the stones. Jade was a bit impressed he concealed his bulk around it. But more importantly…

"Learn a new trick, fat man," Jade spat. Her body twitched as bones and muscles audibly shifted and bent, limbs vanishing as her body elongated, bending around in the binding.

"I did. Yu mu bai misau, Yu mu bai misau!" Tohru chanted, clasping his hands together in casting position. A second set of characters ignited on the sutra, the green glow spreading from them to cover Jade. Jade was hoisted higher into the air, the sutra detaching from her and closing into a horizontal circle around her. The green glow expanded, leaving Jade to drop down into the bottom of the glowing sphere.

"I made it just so you can't wriggle out of it, Jade. Don't struggle, I don't want you to get hurt," Tohru said.

Jade lay still, face pressed against the bottom of the sphere, smooth and warm under her. Twisting, she looked around, the sphere all around her, warm to the touch all along her length.

"Made to hold you… No escape… Just cooperate…" Tohru's words warped and twisted as Jade coiled tightly, whipping her face around, looking for a way out.

She didn't register the word that made her look directly at Tohru, but she did look. Just as the concerned giant turned on his flashlight to see what was wrong with her. Shining the light right into her face.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII" Jade screamed, hurling herself face first away from the light, into the barrier.

"Jade!" Tohru shouted. She raced along the inside of the orb, stopping only to coil and spring at the barrier. Falling back onto the bottom, she whipped at the base frantically with her tail before head-butting it, making green sparks.

"Jade!" Tohru insisted as she hacked in her throat, her whole body twitching. With a horrid squelching sound, she vomited shadow, sending it to strike the wall, steaming and bubbling.

Screaming at the top of her lungs, she hurled herself face first into the bubbling surface. The orb buckled and Jade reared back, face covered in the goo, the green barrier between her teeth.

Green energy curved through her as the sutra flared. Ignoring it, her eyes flaring red through the silk, Jade's jaw tightened as her whole body twisted to tug just a bit more on the barrier caught in her fangs. The energy ripped with a boom and the paper burst into flames.

The orb disappeared like a light bulb burning out, a dark form plopping to the ground.

"Jade?" Tohru asked nervously. He took a step toward her still form, ignoring the willies raising frost on his back. With a horrid snap, a blue hand shot up from the coiled mass, unclenching spastically, revealing long black claws.

"YAAAAAAAAHHH!" Jade shrieked, leaping at Tohru. The wizard took a step back, arms spread uselessly, eyes wide. She hit him in the chest full force, sending him stumbling backward, toppling onto his back. Reaching up with the one free hand, she grabbed one of his suspenders and hauled herself to look down on him.

The blindfold was pushed up, revealing her full face, twisted in terror and fury. Her red eyes seemed to bore into him, then they opened up and he gasped at the sight.

With a high-pitched shriek, she slashed upward, across his face, raising the dripping claws over her head.

The sumo cried out in pain, a hand flying to his face. With a final shriek, Jade darted off into the shadows, but not far. Coiling around a stalagmite, she hissed, resting her hand around its point.

Tohru pulled his right hand away from his face, blinking the eye it had been covering. He could see fine, thankfully, but his face was throbbing, and he didn't want to think about the blood covering his hand and face.

He watched Jade, still perched awkwardly, propped up by one hand, with her contorted body wrapped around the stone.

"Jade," he said softly. She might have narrowed her eyes – he couldn't believe what had happened to her eyes. Nothing he knew about Oni spoke of this. Jade twitched, her tail visibly tightening as that horrid popping sound came again. With a twist and jerk, her other arm popped out, letting her pull herself fully up to the top of the stalagmite.

"Tohru," she hissed.

As if the words were a summoning, Left leapt down to her respective side from somewhere, while Right emerged from behind her perch.

"What kept you two? I know you heard me," Jade frowned. She shifted her weight onto one hand, using the other to pull her bandanna back into place, but not the hood. Just as Tohru felt guilty relief at her unnerving eyes being hidden, he realized she had changed her hairstyle entirely, pulling it back into a gleaming bun.

'It's like bits of her are flaking off the deeper she descends,' Tohru thought with alarm.

"Forgive us our delay, my Queen…" Left began, giving her a half bow.

"But it wasn't enough to just leave that snake. We couldn't have him following us to you," Right finished, bowing his head.

"Though you do seem to have the situation well in hand," Right commented. Tohru shivered at the smile Right sent him, reaching into his pocket.

"The tablet and the giant wizard. My Queen, this is a great opportunity; we should use him instead. It would-" Left said, taking a step forward.

"No! Operation Painted Lemur is not up for discussion Left!" Jade snapped, glaring at the bodyguard.

"…Lemur?" Tohru said, wondering if he had lost more blood than he realized.

"I know what you mean," Right said to Tohru with a grin.

"Get the tablet, leave him to wallow in his failure. Tormented knowing that I could at any time-" Jade declared. And was interrupted as an onion smacked into her forehead. The impact rocked her back as Left drew his swords. Right walked forward, using his thumb to barely draw his katana.

"Viper," he stated.

"Making a dramatic entrance," the thief said, revealing herself crouching atop the stone Tohru was leaning against. She leapt down and over the sumo, landing between him, the tablet, and the Shadowkhan. Right raised a thin eyebrow as she drew a trench knife, falling into a stance.

"Well, that is new," Right commented.

"Not really; a girl has to get by in a predominantly male underworld. I just prefer to leave that kind of thing behind. I'm a thief, not a killer," Viper told him.

"Either way, you're losing your touch," Jade snarked. Straightening up, Jade wiped away the onion fragment across her face and the cloth covering the top of it.

"Oh, I wish I had a camera for that face!

"Are you really surprised? I mean, did you really think I would keep stepping up to get nailed with those things? It's not like they hurt less after the first time, you know! All my research for antidotes and the like, ha!

"It's simple really, you just protect your eyes and there is no problem! It's like trying to cure being punched or something – the answer is dodge or block," Jade grinned.

"And it only took you this long to figure it out?" Viper inquired.

"Yes! …I mean no! Hey, this my moment of awesome reveal, you will not turn it around on me," Queen Jade insisted. Viper rolled her eyes at the evil girl's antics.

"Too late for that, kid," Viper rebutted.

"Maybe. But! But, you can't defeat both of them can you? Much less with me here. You could defend Tohru, or run away with the tablet. Either one ends with a mark in my column.

"Who's the smart one now? Hahahahahahha-ulp!" Jade laughed before gasping as something hit the back of her mouth.

"Wha?" Jade asked, putting a hand to her neck after reflexively swallowing. Viper retracted her extended hand and opened the other one, revealing a cut up onion.

"Sorry kid, I really hope this doesn't hurt much. Though you were kind of asking for it, talking like that," Viper admitted.

"Bad day, oh man, ohhhh," Jade gasped. Grabbing her throat, she coughed as pale yellow creeped into her cheeks. Both hands off the stone and her tail slackening, she tumbled backwards as yellow foam erupted from her mouth. Left caught her before she hit the ground, tossing her tail over his shoulder as he held her protectively.

"Get her to safety brother, I will retrieve the magic," Right said, drawing his blade.

"Hai," Left said, leaping backward and out of Viper's sight.

Tohru watched as Right advanced, still smiling, as Viper lowered herself into a stance. He glanced to the tablet, lying on the ground, opened like it was a book.

"Do you really think that bit of steel and brass will change the outcome? You may be sneaky, but you are no Jackie Chan," Right said, raising his blade.

"You really are an idiot. Last time you were just an opponent, now you're the guy who cut my hair," Viper told him coldly.

"Ha, the vanity of women. Are you thinking about returning the favor? I hate to tell you that it is the samurai who lose their tempers over a few strands of hair. Shinobi like my brother, I, and Queen Jade have higher concerns," Right said, shaking his head. He tilted the blade to catch Viper's slash on it as she closed the distance.

"Shut up and fight, bastard! What is with you people and speeches?" Viper demanded, scowling over the blades.

Right forced her back with a push of his blade. He swung out almost lazily, with Viper stepping back out of range. She stepped into his guard, but he managed to bring his sword to bear, blocking the strike at his chest. He smiled at her, and she kicked him hard in the inside of the shin.

With a pained gasp, he went to his knee, pushing her back. As she danced around him he twisted, catching the brass knuckles of her free hand on his blade before rolling.

He came to his feet with a lurch, glancing at his left shoulder, where the cloth parted in a shallow but bleeding cut along it.

"So that's the color of your blood. Red – I was expecting something more dramatic, honestly," Viper said, watching the blood run down her knife as she repositioned herself between him and Tohru.

"Heh, a good hit, but this fight is hardly… What?" Right sneered. His words were cut off with a pained question. He looked to his wounded shoulder, eyes widening as the visible blue flesh yellowed and foam scabbed over the cut.

"What did you think I cut the onion with?" Viper asked, smiling as he looked at her with shock.

"You fight dirty. Why are you on their side, again?" Right said through gritted teeth. A chi blast struck him square in the gut, sending him back and into a rock. Viper glanced behind her, where Tohru rose to his feet, a torn sleeve wrapped on his face like a bandage, puffer fish in hand.

"About time you got up, big boy. You're not the type to let a few scratches stop you," Viper smiled. Tohru returned it, though grimacing as the act made the cuts flare anew.

"Well, this is less than ideal," Right said, looking at the two humans standing to face him. Without another word, he leapt backward and out of sight.

"Ninja – opportunists, not the type to fight to the last like samurai," Viper commented, hoping he was still in earshot.

"He hasn't gone far, Viper. We need to get the tablet back to the others and to the shop. Jade already unsealed it," Tohru said, putting a sutra in the open stone book before putting it in under his arm.

"Is studying dark magic a good idea?" Viper asked.

"If we understand Jade's magic better, we can counter it. But she knows that; they will not let us take it this easily," Tohru told her. A sound of crashing reminded them of the giant snake, and spurred them to head for the exit, Tohru slapping a zombie's head into dust as it tried to stand in their way.

**XXX**

Jackie looked around for more zombies, sadly finding them. The bugs were gone, but these corpses from across the ages seemed to be endless from the holes. They had almost gotten him when that shriek froze him.

He backed against a stalagmite. He needed an exit. Not just for the situation – he had a feeling that shriek was connected with Jade. He would have to use the stone to get height. Then try running across some zombie heads without falling into the swarm, then try a flip to reach-

Intense light engulfed him and the swarm with a reptilian roar.

"…Ow," Jackie muttered. Blinking away the sight clouding dots, he watched as the zombies around him collapsed or contorted like dead beetles before going still.

"Whew. Waah!" Jackie sighed, and then screamed. The giant winged serpent was looming over him, its eye cracks closing as he watched.

**XXX**

Jade curled in on herself, tail tip touching the back of her head before stretching straight again. Hacking, she spat up practically nothing before going limp. Her head was held off the ground by Left, who was without his own tunic. Jade's soaked one lay off to the side, the over sized garment tied around her, preserving her modesty.

"Ohh, I hate this," Jade moaned.

"Can you keep it down now?" Left asked, brushing a bit of loose hair from her yellow-veined face. She nodded, looking off into space. Left reached into a pouch at his belt and pulled out a vial of glowing purple potion.

"Be strong; you said this tastes vial, but it will purge your system in place of the shadow realm," Left told her, popping the cork clear. Moaning, Jade pinched her nose and opened her mouth as he tilted the potion down her throat.

**XXX**

"**You do not wither before the light? Even those untouched by evil magic are affected when this ****sacred light meets their inner evil,**" Nameless said, cocking his large head. If Jackie found the snake's clear bewilderment amusing, it was drowned by the fact a giant snake's flicking tongue was less than a foot from his face as he looked up at it.

"I am not evil!" Jackie shouted, hitting himself in the chest.

"**…Of course, that explains it!**

"But if you are not evil, why do you seek to liberate evil from the Vault of Endless Night?" Nameless asked, turning his head to fully watch Jackie with a glowing eye. Jackie saw himself reflected in the glowing orb as the snake studied him.

"I came here to stop my niece from taking that thing and using it for evil," Jackie said. He was trying to stay calm; maybe for once the good authority figure would be reasonable.

"**So your niece is evil, evil that you do battle with?!**" the serpent exclaimed.

"No, I mean yes! She's not really evil, she's sick. But I am battling her… so she can get… better?" Jackie answered uncertainly as the snake lowered its head. The winged serpent laid its head down on the stones and licked Jackie in the face.

"Puh!" Jackie spat, wiping he snake saliva off.

"**Yes, you do not have the bitterness of evil, but the taste of nobility!**

"What is your name, noble uncle to evil?" Nameless demanded.

"…Jackie Chan," he answered.

"**Climb atop me, Jackie Chan! Together we shall beat back evil as two warriors of light!**" Nameless proclaimed.

**XXX**

"I think the herd is thinning," Viper said. It had been nearly a minute since they had seen any monsters as the forest of stone thinned around them.

"They seemed to be heading toward the serpent – if it's their jailer, then they probably have a grudge," Tohru remarked. Glancing around, he slowed to walk, opening the tablet.

"Oh, bad day," Tohru moaned.

"What's it say?" Viper demanded. He turned the tablet toward Viper; it was covered in red writing, a series of jagged lines, dots and other symbols in rows. Definitely not Japanese.

"It would appear the Shadowkhan have their own language," Tohru told her.

"Well, let's pick up the pace anyway," Viper said. The exit tunnel was in sight, even as a flash of light and roar announced the serpent's continuing rampage. Viper continued on, but Tohru looked back the way they had come, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"The evil is receding. Viper, this place is winning the battle with the darkness sealed here," Tohru said. The thought that there might be an ancient evil that they wouldn't have to deal with was more surprising than relief.

'What about Jade, though? If she doesn't escape, she may be sealed here with these monsters,' Tohru realized.

**Whump**

The ugly sound turned Tohru around, to see Viper falling to the ground limply.

"Bull's-eye!" Ratso cheered as the two Enforcers sprang from their cover behind one of the last stalagmites. Tohru growled, but they had caught him flat footed. Ratso grabbed the thief, pinning her arms behind her back while pressing her into the ground. Chow, for his part, ignited his sword, holding it in a low grip towards Viper's head.

"Easy, Big T. Make a bad move, and either I start some extreme shaving or Ratso does his little arm trick. Remember when he first showed you that; Copenhagen, right?" Chow asked.

"Stockholm," Tohru corrected with a grunt, glaring at them, his free hand clenched into a fist.

"That's right! Anyway, Ratso is on a bit of a roll. First he gets the idea to use the laser swords to cut handholds and just climb out of the pit, and then he struts his pitching stuff just now. Even Viper can't just shake off a rock to the head, I guess," Chow remarked.

"Shuup," Viper mumbled, one eye twitching open.

"I'm glad you survived, I saw you fall into the pit," Tohru told them.

"Aw, I knew you still liked us, old bro. Turns out lightsabers are the best weapon _ever _to fight zombies with. You can just close your eyes, run around screaming and swinging, and still win," Ratso smiled.

…

"Uh, not that that's what we did," Ratso amended.

"Because no one deserves that, not even you," Tohru added ignoring the confession.

"Hey now! It's not like we're trying to destroy the world here," Chow objected.

"Yeah, not this time!" Ratso put in.

"Anyway, just give us the magic rock the boss wants and you get the thief back," Chow said.

"Viper!" Paco shouted, rushing into sight. Ramirez followed after him, panting a bit, gripping a curving silver dagger. They were to Tohru's left at some distance, stopping at the hostage scene.

"You were captured again?" Paco asked.

"Kid, be quiet," Viper growled. Ratso nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, being captured is bad enough; no need to rub it in with a list of priors," Ratso told Paco.

"You two stay where you are!" Chow barked. To press his point, he flicked his hand, cutting a small clump of hair off Viper's head.

"Shorty, you may not be responsible for all my follicle troubles, but for that I will kick your ass when I'm out of this."

"Oh, you messed with her hair! Bad move buddy – never mess with a girl's hair, especially not the sneaky violent types," Ratso chided Chow.

"Enough already! Tohru, give us the tablet or else!" Chow demanded. He took a step toward Tohru, brandishing the sword. A shadow fell over Ratso, and Ramirez clapped a hand over a wide-eyed Paco's mouth.

"WELL?!" Chow demanded. Tohru looked past the small man, and then meet his gaze stoically.

"No," Tohru said.

…

"What?! You can't do that! You're the good guy – you can't make the pragmatic good decision. What kind of game are you… playing?" Chow asked as he became aware of something looming over him.

He turned, only to get knocked off balance by an open palm strike, the follow up sending the sword from his hand. It deactivated before hitting the ground, along with its owner. A booted foot stamped down on the cylinder, shattering it in a shower of sparks.

"El Toro!" Paco shouted, pulling the hand from his face. Sure enough, illuminated by their lights, his hero stood there triumphant over the bad guys, as a grumbling Viper picked herself up, rubbing her head.

"Sorry I'm late. Just enough time for a last minute tag in, Si?" El Toro said to them.

"What about the match?" Paco asked.

"I forfeited; no one was pleased. But like I said to the crowd, there was somewhere I needed to be more," El Toro smiled. It was a small smile without any twinkle in his eyes, but Paco was happy to see it.

**XXX**

Uncle wiped his brow with the back of his hand. Backing up against a stalagmite, he looked over the mass of dog sized, red-eyed, black ants advancing on him. Well he supposed giant was relative. Far more dangerous as a swarm than those less-than-sneaky spiders had been.

"You want pieces of Uncle?!" he demanded.

A huge beam of light flowed over him.

**XXX**

"I plugged some of the zombie holes with boulders," Ramirez said as he and the J-Team walked back towards the narrowness of the entrance tunnel.

"I think you could have gotten more, Senor," El Toro remarked.

A mass of undead and half a dozen hairy giant spiders advanced on them, moaning and chirping.

"Running might be a good idea?" Viper suggested.

"We vote for running!" Chow spoke up. He and Ratso stood behind the heroes, hands cuffed behind their backs.

"No, I will not leave this evil to infect the city," Ramirez said.

"And Jackie is still in there," Tohru reminded them. He was holding his fish at ready, but the hand holding it was shaking.

"Paco, head back up," El Toro ordered.

"No El Toro! I can fight; I helped Detective Ramirez! He had me cover him by shooting the dark creatures while he-!" Paco objected.

"You gave Paco a gun!?" El Toro shouted at the detective.

"People who take children on field trips to fight dark forces have no place-" Ramirez shot back.

"Focus boys!" Viper snapped. Three of the spiders sprang into the air, descending toward the heroes, fangs dripping venom.

Light swept over the scene.

"What?" Tohru wondered, blinking away the glare as the sound of snaps and crackles filled the air.

"Hello down there!" Jackie's voice called. As their sight returned, the heroes were stunned to see the giant snake from earlier lower his head, revealing Jackie and Uncle to be standing on top of it.

"**You are also not evil**," the winged snake said.

"What the… What?" Viper demanded, planting her hands on her hips, watching the snake, and the evil creatures that were either crumbling or curling up around them.

"He's the guardian, like the Sages were, except he is more reasonable about fighting evil rather than good. His sunfire seals evil but not good, so he realized we were not evil and decided to help," Jackie explained rapidly.

"Jackieee! Quit wasting time with exposition! Tohru, you have the tablet?" Uncle asked. Tohru gave him a thumb's up as El Toro held up the tablet for them to see.

"El Toro? I thought you had a match," Jackie asked.

At least a dozen playing cards flew out of the darkness, slapping into Nameless' neck and sticking.

"Seal of the Fourth Spiral, cant 97!" a voice called out. The serpent reared up, sending Jackie and Uncle falling, as a crescent of shadow lashed out from the darkness, striking the cards.

The cards exploded like fireworks as shining energy surged through the winged serpent. Howling, the snake fell to the side, shattering several stalagmites.

Tohru rushed forward, catching Uncle but falling forwards himself. Jackie landed on his feet, knees buckling and his face locked in a grimace.

"Combo for the win," Jade rasped. She stood at the edge of the stone forest, holding a shadow fan that looked taller than her.

"Like it? They're my chi given physical form, so I can divide or merge as needed. This next trick is a gas guzzler, but perfect for this," Jade smirked. She swung the fan out, but rather than firing a chi blast she let it go. It spun around in place in the air as black chi flowed along its edges, not falling.

Jade leaped onto the fan, which opened wider as the shirtless Left jumped on beside her.

"Blast off," Jade smirked, planting her hands around the large fan handle. With a bang, it shot forward. Ramirez drew his gun, with Viper ripping it out of his hand before Jade's fan collided with El Toro. The man was sent flying back, the tablet flying up as Jade curved around the arc of the wall coming back, a trail of chi following.

"Protect the tablet!" Uncle yelled. The wizard looked around frantically for his dropped fish.

With a smack, the tablet landed in Right's waiting hands.

"Perfection," he said. He raised the tablet to take the punch Viper swung at his face. The brass knuckles rang, and Viper took a step back, shaking the pained hand. Right took his own step, swinging the piece of stone at her. She evaded, and Right leapt into the air with a smile.

Left grabbed him as the Shadowkhan zoomed by, and vanished through the exit tunnel, leaving nothing behind but a vanishing trail of black in their wake.

"We had it!" Tohru cursed, punching the floor.

"Jade has won, again," Uncle said. He was nearly knocked down as something white rushed past him.

The heroes watched, stunned, as the man in the suit brought a giant paper airplane to a stop by the two, still standing, Enforcers.

"You can't be serious?" Paco remarked, the only hero not reeling at the moment.

"Care for a lift, gentleman?" he asked. The two rushed to take seats behind the man. With a tap of his finger, the man activated runes that began to glow across the paper, and revealed what looked like square seams all over it.

"Until next time," the wizard remarked blandly. He tossed a card into the air, where it exploded in a flash and bang. When it cleared, the last of the Shadow Hand was gone.

**XXX**

It seemed like Nameless' head should be too big for the shaft, but he had no trouble lifting them all up towards the light on it. Uncle was seeing to Tohru, chanting spells to ensure no curse took root in the cuts.

The former criminal was bearing up well under the pain it had to be causing him. But still, Jackie exchanged another look with Viper. He could not deny this quest had taken a dangerous turn.

Something had happened to Jade, might be happening even now. They might be winning the mask hunt, but it felt like they had just lost a major battle for Jade herself.

"**Top floor**," Nameless announced as they reached the hidden chamber. They quickly got off to the floor the snake was level with. Instead of retreating back down, the snake rose up to look around, tasting the air.

"**Ah, surface air; it has been so long**," the serpent sighed. He sounded tired to Jackie, despite having woken up from who knows how long sleeping.

"**The evil has fled far from here, and I cannot pursue. My post must not be abandoned**," the feathered serpent told them.

"We will get it back for you," Jackie assured him.

"**Thank you, but that is not enough. A sage crossed the seas to entrust that tablet to me. I cannot simply do nothing and say I have honored a fellow warrior of light's wishes**," Nameless said.

"Even if you _could_ leave, a giant winged serpent may do more harm than good running amok in the world these days," Ramirez added.

The snake did not reply, his glowing eyes settling on Paco, who looked back, clearly still fascinated by the magical creature.

"**Boy, it is not every child that can face such darkness and retain both courage and wit enough to strike blows against it.**

"**Through the ages, orders of good have gathered evil and sent it down into my keeping. The Catholics did this without need of my warrant or aid, but others took light to where I could not.**

"**I sense the blood and spirit of my old acolytes living on in you**," Nameless stated. His tongue emerged again, holding a stone medallion, with a feathered serpent carved onto it.

"**I would have an agent acting on my behalf, both to retrieve what was stolen, and to face this evil loose under the sky**," Nameless went on.

"Wow," Paco breathed, reaching for it. El Toro grabbed his hand, the glowing eyes shifting to him.

"Senor, Paco may be all you say, but he is still a boy. This is a man's responsibility, no?" El Toro interjected.

"**Hmm, speak on, masked man**," Nameless allowed.

"I am El Toro Fuerte. I have fought the dark forces, and I know how magic can corrupt one's life first hand. I may not be worthy of your warrant, but I would bear it in Paco's place until he is ready to make the choice you would give him," El Toro said.

"El Toro," Paco whispered.

"**Hmmm, so be it. You will train the boy so he becomes a man worthy of erasing the debt you all owe for allowing such evil to run rampant and threaten to unleash what I guarded.**

"**Know this though – the medallion can sense evil and provide some wisdom to those who hold it, but the power to overcome evil comes from the ones who bear it, not some handsome rock.**

"**Farewell, warriors of the light. May your path be bright and true!**" the snake declared, withdrawing slowly into the pit. Once he was out of sight, Detective Ramirez pulled out a hip flask and took a nip.

"This has been quite a Monday, hasn't it?" the investigator commented to the J-Team.

_Windsor Mansion, Later:_

In the parlor, the mirror rattled slightly against the wall as the polished wood panels darkened. The shadows spread and rose in tendrils weaving about in the air. The Shadow Hand rose from the darkness as if riding an elevator into the room.

Still a paler blue than normal, Jade rode piggyback on Left. Who, at a poke to his shoulder, lowered himself, letting her step down. Right stood next to them, holding the tablet reverently in his hands. The humans dispersed, Blankman heading for his office, the other two sensing they should make themselves scarce.

Jade glared after the two humans as Right set the tablet on the couch at Jade's unspoken direction.

"Those two were useless, even with Blankman's gifts," Jade complained.

"You were expecting more, Your Majesty?" Right asked, opening the tablet as Jade took a seat on the couch.

"In a way, I suppose," Jade shrugged. Left walked back in, Jade noticing his absence for the first time, with a tall wheat sandwich. Jade blanched and waved him away.

"Thanks, but no. Oh, I can still taste that onion and the stuff it made down there! I'm hungry, but I can't stand the sight of food. There will not be a repeat of this!" Jade ranted miserably. Slumping down into the couch, she looked over her bodyguards, standing awaiting orders.

"Bring it," she told Right. Reaching behind his back, he pulled out his pouch and offered it to Jade. She took it and opened it, taking a deep whiff of its contents, visibly relaxing. Pulling out a black lock, she browsed the tablet, reaching the last pages of stone.

"Yes, here it is. This will solve four problems at once. This will hit Jackie and the others where it hurts," Jade smirked. She lovingly traced out the characters on the stone, Right sharing in her glee with a wide, closed smile. Left watched them, expression unchanged.

"You are certain it is the course you wish to take, my Queen?" Left asked. Jade's head snapped up to look at him in surprise.

"It's the only course, if we want to win. I won't let them seal me!" Jade shouted, clutching at the tablet.

"Yo boss, welcome back!" Finn said, walking in, snapping her a two-fingered salute.

"Finn, if it's not important, leave," Jade snapped. Finn held up his hands in mock surrender, smiling.

"Hey now, you got the rock, right? But if you want some space, that's cool. There wasn't much since Chan went south anyway. Just some new house sitter, some cranky Chinese guy in a suit," Finn remarked.

Jade frowned, and then shivered. Seeing Finn had already left, Jade slipped under the couch into its shadow. She rose in the surveillance room, ignoring Ratso's greeting to look over the screens. Finding the one she wanted, she froze. Lifting the cloth off her eyes, she squinted just to make sure.

"No way, just no way," she whispered.

_Chinatown:_

"Listen, I'm just saying that room is an issue," Viper told Jackie, as they sat squeezed into a cab with El Toro.

"A motel is not a problem; I'm used to roving accommodations," El Toro said.

"That isn't the problem – without magic wards, the Shadowkhan could ambush you when you least expect it. And I don't think we want to leave magic lying around at a random motel," Jackie pointed out.

"Fine, what about Section 13? They're already equipped," Viper suggested, rolling her eyes at the difficulty.

"Section 13 is not a hotel, and Captain Black has to justify any 'eccentric' actions to his superiors. And how is he supposed to explain a luchadore renting room?" Jackie said as the cab pulled up outside the shop. As they got out, Viper glanced to the luchadore and imagined him sharing living space with the stoic agents. It was a bit funny.

"Sorry for the trouble," El Toro interjected, pulling most of the luggage out of the trunk as Jackie paid the cabbie. The taxi carrying the others pulled up behind them.

"Jackie! Uncle will not be having clumsy wrestler bunking in shop. Thief on couch is bad enough! He can bum off Section 13," Uncle snapped immediately upon getting out of the cab.

Jackie sighed, helping El Toro with the bags.

"Can we at least talk about it inside?" Jackie asked. He had to wonder what others on the street thought about the kind of traffic the shop got through its front door? Reaching the front door, he made to sit down a bag to pull out his key.

"I got it," Viper said, nudging him aside to unlock the door. With _his_ key. Jackie gave her back a tired glare as she stepped inside.

"Oh, gave her a key to you place, eh my friend?" El Toro asked in a tone Jackie immediately disliked. Viper's words inside cut off his rebuttal to the implication from the luchadore.

"Hey, who are you?" Viper asked inside.

There were so many bad ways to answer that question that the two men did not hesitate to drop the bags and rush inside. Their rush was brought up short when they joined Viper in staring at a man seated at the counter, a newspaper laid out before him and one of Uncle's tea cups to his right.

"Hello, Jackie," the man said, looking up from his paper.

"Isn't that-" El Toro asked before the uninvited guest cut him off.

"Would you care to explain where exactly my daughter is?" Shen Chan asked sternly. Jackie gulped as his kinsman glared at him over the counter. Viper leaned in close to Jackie's ear.

"Bad day," she whispered to him. He nodded numbly in agreement.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Good golly gosh, what a twist! And thay a cliff youmay be hanging on for quite a while I am afraid._

_That's right, if you haven't heard this chapter marks a hiatus of sorts not only for this story but nearly all my stuff on the site._

_The reason, take a look at my profile, and see when I joined this site, then see ow many of thee epic length stories I have actually finished since._

_Yeah, that is right._

_One of my new Years resolutions was to finish one of my lengthy projects this year. The one I have chosen is "_Hachin_", my Mulan fanfiction. It may have more chapters remaining but they are expected to be much smaller, and that plot has always been more streamlined than either _JoD_ or _QoaO_._

_In the interest of breaking monotony up I gave myself an out of sorts by also updating "_Divergent X_" in there, to break up monotony. But other than distraction I will be diving into Hachin and swimming until I reach the shore that lets me mark a story_ **complete.**

_I apologize to fans of my other stories on the site for the delays. But between RL, my new original novella length work in progress, and coauthoring Shattered Realms I needed to make serious cuts if I hope to meet this goal for myself._

_And speaking of you lovely people on the other side of the screen, _**you lot rock!**_ Thanks to your support _"Queen of All Oni"_ is top of the JCA fic list in _favorites and follows_ on this site; and second in reviews! I never expected the story to be this popular back when Nocturne urged me to take this crazy old idea I had and give it a whirl. Thank you for proving me wrong._

_Speaking of Nocturne, one reviewer suggested I post on this story that I adopted Nocturne's story Queen of Shadows; the sister tale to this Queen you are reading here. Developed side by side in the early days of PDJ._

_So while you wait I urge you to check out the rest of the PDJ stories if you haven't already. And maybe check out my personal favorite fic on this site, "_Hanley_" by Nibelungvelocity. I only wish I was as good of a storyteller as this writer, they made me fall back in love with One Piece; all the while wishing Hanley was a canon character too._

_Well that's enough out of this writer I think._

_Long days and pleasant nights to you all!_


	19. Sins of the Father

_Disclaimer:_ Even after a hiatus, I still do not own Jackie Chan Adventures

_Beta: Zim'sMostLoyalServant_

* * *

**PDJ Proudly Presents:**

"Queen of All Oni"

CHAPTER XIV

**Sins of the Father**

OR

_Shifting Balances_

"Well, Jackie? Can you imagine how surprised I was when Jade's school in Hong Kong called me? Some bureaucrat on this side of the ocean had some manner of inquiry about Jade having transferred back to Hong Kong. Since Jade was not in Hong Kong to their knowledge, they called me.

"And so I called Jade's American principal, and found out they truly though she was in Hong Kong.

"Which led me here, to find out… what is going on," the Chinese man said. Jackie gulped and looked over his shoulder.

Uncle came to the rescue, stepping forward, shaking his hand like he was going to slap the younger man.

"_Verrry_ rude! You squat my shop without permission and then make rude demands? How did you even get in?" Uncle demanded.

"Jade gave me her spare key while she was in Hong Kong last. And you may be my elder, Uncle, but I am not going to let you divert me with your antics," Shen said, standing up. Jackie saw Uncle draw up and heard his jaw tighten; clearly, Shen had been away too long to appreciate the consequences of disrespect.

"Please, Shen, calm down," Jackie said, putting a hand on Uncle's shoulder.

"Calm down? After being sent on a wild goose chase and discovering my daughter seems to have dropped of off the face of the earth, I come here to find you all gone. And you come back with the same unusual gaggle of friends as last rime you visited?

"I am not only insulted by your assumption, but by the fact I have been kept completely in the dark on something so personal," Shen ground out. Walking around the desk, he put the folded paper under his arm.

"However, we are family, so I give you one last courtesy. I will be back tomorrow at 7 a.m. sharp. You will either tell me the full truth, or I take this to the police and the news.

"Good day, sirs and miss," he said, the group having parted for him as he made his way for the door. He closed it behind him in not quite a slam.

"Well, you can't blame him for being upset," El Toro pointed out. Jackie was already had his cell phone out and was dialing.

"Captain Black," he said over the line.

"Yes, it didn't go well. I thought you were watching him and his wife.

"Budget? Lack of evidence for a pending threat!? Well, yes, I know you have to justify operations… Fine, but he's talking about going to the police and press.

"You will handle it? Wisker… um, could you maybe use someone else?" Jackie asked, going from panicked to nervous quickly.

"Maybe you should just tell him? I mean, Jade wanted to keep it a secret, but don't her parents have a right to know. Especially now?" El Toro asked. Uncle slapped him over the head.

"Jackie, sensei! Willies," Tohru shuddered.

"Aiiiihhh!" the scream carried in from the street. Uncle grabbed Jackie's cell phone and pushed his nephew toward the door.

"That was Shen!" the wizard told him. Jackie burst out the door and looked both ways down the street. Nothing.

"Very, very, bad day," Jackie gulped. Viper joined him outside, not even bothering to look around.

"Without a trace, but these are ninjas we are dealing with. Well, at least you don't have to worry about him blabbing on the missing Jade to the press now," Jackie gave her a glare.

_Windsor Mansion:_

'Say something Jade,' she told herself.

Jade sat on the floor of the basement, legs folded under her. Looking away from the human, she traced what she could see of the array. It was quick work, but perfect. Building off what she had made much earlier.

The second tablet would let her finish it. The final pieces needed to complete the puzzle for this most important magic. She should be doing that; she could see the perfect array in her head now. Pulsing with power, so very ready to be made, to be used.

Instead she was sitting on the floor, looking at her father tied to a chair and blindfolded. Pulling back a sleeve, she checked the moose watch on her thin wrist.

She had been sitting here watching him for 59 minutes.

One minute more and it would be weird.

Her father spoke again, wriggling in the binding ropes. Not trying to escape, she could tell, just uncomfortable. She wished she had sprung for the actual blindfold, rather than the potato bag dropped over his head.

"Listen, I am not a rich man, but I am sure we can work something out," Shen pleaded.

'Say something, Jade,' she said in her head, staring at him.

**XXX**

The Shadow Hand sat around a fancy card table in a room Blankman had told them was actually designed for playing cards in. At least, the humans minus Hak Foo were, with Right also holding a hand of cards as he sat under the overhead lamp.

Ratso looked over his hand at the others.

"So, what's the deal with the Chinese guy the boss has tied up in the basement? One of Section 13's boys?" he asked.

"Her father, actually," Right said, looking up from his own hand. The pot was in the center of the table, each of them having chipped in thirty dollars, Ratso's mostly ones.

"Really? I would have thought her father would be more…" Finn commented.

"More what?" Blankman asked.

"I don't know, just _more,_ I guess.

"So why's the pater familias tied to a chair in her overly decorated basement, which she will not let us turn into a game room?"

"That one corner just screams 'pool table'," Ratso remarked wistfully.

"Revenge, obviously," Chow added. He continued as their attention slid to him.

"I mean, really, evil kid who was a hero with a near death wish? You don't get that from Norman Rockwell childhoods.

"But then again, who here hasn't wanted to tie their old man to a chair and whack him a few ones? Right?" Chow asked, raising his free hand. No one else's hand went up.

"Sorry Bonkers, looks like you're the only one with daddy issues," Finn chuckled.

"The only being honest about it, you mean," Chow grumbled.

"I am not sure what, if anything, would constitute my father," Right admitted.

The bets were called and they laid down their hands.

"Full house," Ratso said.

"Royal Flush!" Finn cheered.

"Royal Flush!" Chow laughed, before stopping.

"Me as well," Right said, laying down his own royal flush.

"Straight flush," Blankman said, laying down his hand.

"…Someone's cheating," Ratso declared. Blankman sighed and shook his head.

"We are a card table with three mob enforcers, a wizard who uses enchanted paper, and a magical ninja. The question is not who is cheating. But rather who is cheating _better_.

"…That would be me," Blankman said, reaching out to pull the pot to his spot.

**XXX**

'Say something Jade,' Queen Jade told herself again, standing up on the floor.

"Please, I know someone's there. Just tell me what you want!" Shen begged.

Jade rose into the air and hovered over to the chair, and pulled the bag off.

"What?" He asked, wide-eyed. Jade cocked her head, looking at him. He was a bit messed up, abduction by ninja and all, but no more so than one of his worse days at the office. Those signs had been a clear cue to just answer any questions politely and go to her room.

Mother had been the more physical and vocal of the two, but his displeasure was her greatest displeasure, it had seemed sometimes.

"What is this?" he asked, staring at her.

'Oh yeah, my face,' Jade realized. After Viper's little trick with her mouth, she had upgraded her anti-onion defense. A blue scarf of the treated silk was wrapped thickly over her nose and lower face. Along with the black blindfold, most of her face was covered by silk.

"It's been a while…" she said. Reaching to her face with one hand, she pulled the scarf down to hang around her neck while the other pulled the blindfold up to her brow.

"Father," she had decided on the spur of the moment to make it tragic.

"…I think there's been a mistake," Shen muttered.

Jade's eye twitched, not noticing or caring how her face was still gaunter than usual in addition to her eyes and blueness.

"What?! I pull off something that cool and dramatic, and that's your reaction?! At least go with stunned silence! I mean, you couldn't pull off a dramatic 'NOOOO' if your life depended on it, but still!" Jade facepalmed.

"This is so typical," she sighed, staring through her eyelids at her palm.

"Jade?" Shen asked warily. She tipped the clawed hand up and saw him looking at her with surprise, and recognition.

"The rant did it?" she asked.

"Jade, why are you wearing that make up? Have you fallen in with cosplayers?!" he demanded, seeming to recover his usual panache. Jade crossed her arms and frowned, looking at him sternly.

"Cosplayers? Seriously? Granted, I did use it as a costume, but how would that explain my eyes, or the fact I'm floating?" she demanded.

"Floa-AIYAH!" Shen screamed as he glanced down and saw she was at eye level due to her floating off the ground.

"In case you're wondering, it's magic," she pointed out.

"What? No, no. Magicians do tricks like this all the time.

"I don't know what Jackie has let you get into. Is this another one of those mean jokes you would do? This is not funny Jade, vanishing and… Would you lease untie me?" he muttered, looking everywhere but at her.

Jade floated forward, planted a foot lightly on his knee, and lifted his tie up delicately. Revealing her fangs she gently bit off the end and swallowed it. She floated back as he watched her, stunned.

"No," she said. Smoke engulfed her hands, her fans appearing as the smoke cleared. Opening them wide, she closed them with a flick of her wrist. Dark energy coursed between them before dispersing.

"Uncle," Shen whispered, "He was always fixated with the old ways, gave up a promising career in the theater for old superstition and parlor tricks. Father was so happy he had settled down to open a shop. Just a boy's foolishness turned an old man's eccentricity."

"He _is_ an eccentric old man, but he's also one of the greatest men of magic alive today. And, I might add, has helped save your life and the world a number of times. Yet he never whined about the lack of a promotion," Jade remarked.

"I don't understand, Uncle did this to you? What has happened, a curse?" he asked, still not looking at her.

"Curse? Curse?! CURSE?!

"You admit to knowing about magic yet you would call me cursed?!" she dropped her hands and swept forward, grabbing his hair to pull his face closer, almost touching hers.

"I am Shadowkhan, a _royal_ Shadowkhan, and a sorceress of the living twilight. All Uncle ever did was try to drag me back down and hold me back!" she yelled at her father, his eyes wider than she had ever seen them as she screamed in his face.

"…Ah," he gasped. Jade pushed his head back, letting go. The chair wobbled a moment before righting itself.

Jade floated back to the ground, standing and rubbing her glowing eyelids. Left stepped forward, holding a mug of cola. Kneeling, he offered it to Jade, who took it and sipped the contents.

"Who… _what_ is that?" Shen asked. If Left took any offense at the term it did not show as he simply stood and took a step back. Jade frowned, pulling her blindfold back into place. She took a long look at Shen, sipping her drink.

"This is Left, my Yojimbo," she told him.

"Yojimbo? Why are you using Japanese terms?" Shen asked, frowning.

"Because Shadowkhan are Japanese, duh. Ninja thing should have given that way," Jade waved it off.

"Jade, you are Chinese," Shen pointed out. She did not like his tone; setting down her mug on the floor, she floated up into the air, her eyes shining through the blindfold now. Shen shrank back into the chair as best as he could while his changed daughter entered his personal space and grabbed his hair with one hand again.

"Correction, Jade Chan was a little sidekick girl Chinese human. Jade – I've actually been thinking about going to Hisui – of the Shadowkhan is a badass Japanese General Demon Royalty in the making," she told him.

"What?! But, nationality is not a religion; you can't just convert. Don't you remember your history, World War II?" he demanded. Jade pulled on his hair, making him cry out. The pitch made her grin; she leaned in, touching her nose to his, showing off her teeth.

"I'm no longer being told what to do by any pathetic humans. Giving up that thing you are so proud of, it's just another sweet way to distance myself from what you all want to reduce me to be.

"Anyway, I dislike the way this is going. You have no control, you are here solely for my benefit, to answer my questions," she breathed into his face.

"What questions?" he groaned. Jade let his hair go and turned her back on him, floating away.

"Well, I suppose it comes down to one question.

"You and mother, you are not great parents. You may have rarely gotten physical, but I'm smart enough to see that you both would have preferred I wasn't there," she told him.

"That is n-" He was cut off as Jade hurled at him, twisting in the air, grabbing his neck, and pressing her face against his, eyes blazing through black.

"No lies! I can smell your brain! Not delicious, but intriguing! I've already declared for the dark side, so don't test me by any more patronizing. I didn't come this far for BS!" she screeched at him.

"…T-The truth then," he sighed. She released his neck, never actually squeezing it, and floated back, watching him.

"Well, you are right about us not being great parents. We realized this ourselves shortly after marrying; we are not the type of people who should have children. We both came from big families, no obligation existed to continue lines of descent, so there was no reason not to.

"…You were an accident, Jade," he said.

Jade said nothing, floating in the air, watching. Relieved she was not biting his face, he continued.

"We agreed once it was confirmed, that it was a mistake we needed to fix. I asked the right people, and we scheduled an abortion-"

"Stop, Left," Jade commanded in a flat tone. Shen looked to the ninja and gulped, watching the creature slowly slide a sword back into a sheath on his back.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

"So a tracking spell is out of the question?" Viper asked Uncle.

"Aiyah, Uncle would need Shen's hair to do that. And one more thing, Jade has two tablets, her wards will be stronger now, preventing Uncle from finding her! One more thing, Uncle is doing research, so stop bothering Uncle!" the others overheard coming from the open library door.

"This is terrible – why didn't it occur to me Shen would be in danger here? Captain Black had him under guard when this first happened with Section 13 agents," Jackie lamented.

"Yackie, maybe this is good thing," El Toro pointed out.

"How could this possibly be good? He has been kidnapped by his daughter who has been possessed by the forces of darkness," Jackie demanded.

"Yade has issues with her parents, yes? Dark forces prey on such things. Maybe sitting down and getting the record straight will help her realize the dark forces are leading her astray. I know from experience, the truth may hurt but it helps. And maybe he will realize something important when he sees what his daughter is really capable of," El Toro proposed.

"El Toro Fuerte is a man of honor and hope!" Paco declared.

_Windsor Mansion:_

"Well, either I'm invincible, or you got cold feet," Jade remarked. Shen watched her a moment; once he was relatively sure she wasn't going to attack him, he answered.

"I didn't, your mother did," he admitted.

"Really?" Jade blinked behind the blindfold.

"Really; we were at the door, and she told me she couldn't go through with it. So I went in and told them it was off, and we left. You were born without incident, a textbook procedure the doctor told me," Shen explained.

"…What changed her mind?" she whispered audibly.

"I do not know. She never explained, and I never asked. I did not feel it was my place to ask. I am a fairly conservative man, but I saw it as her choice in the end. So when she made it…

"We did have an unspoken understanding, though. It was her choice, so she would be responsible for you before me," the Chinese man went on. Jade snickered humorlessly, reaching down to get her mug. Sipping it, she sighed.

"Her problem, eh? Such a heavy burden, was I?" the question sounded rhetorical. Shen shrugged, looking quite deflated.

"As I said, we knew we aren't the type who should have children. And frankly, I think you would give any parent gray hairs early."

"Ha, I have wondered when I would give Jackie a silver streak of achievement, I admit," Jade laughed.

"Hmm, well that explains why you avoided me; not your problem to deal with. You know, I actually preferred you. Between absence and being talked down to and scolded, and the occasional spanking, being ignored let me think you would treat me better if you were around. But really, you would have been the same even if you had been the one to deal with me, right?" she inquired, staring into her mug.

"Probably, I can't really say," Shen answered.

"Well, you've been honest so far. So let's go on to the next question.

"Why did you send me to Jackie, of all people. What finally pushed you to throw in the towel? And don't give me that therapist's standard 'new environment' excuse," she demanded.

Shen looked at her; his expression made her feel nervous. Without realizing it, she put the scarf back into place, trying to place the look he had on his face. She never seen this before, unfair!

"I sent you to live with Jackie, because I was afraid," Shen confessed.

"You feared me?" Jade demanded astonished. She may have been a bit of a moody terror, but still…

"No, I feared _for_ you," he corrected.

"Hold on, you just said you didn't care about me, passing all the bucks to mother," she was happy to accuse. She did not like these unexpected turns – she may not have planned this, but she had expectations, which were not being fulfilled, anyway.

"Jade, I may be a poor excuse for father, but I _do_ care about you. Being bad at caring, isn't the same as not," he tried to explain. She glared back at him, draining her mug and holding it up for Left to take.

"I am not even going to try and understand that answer. So start talking some kind of sense," she demanded.

"Alright, let's see.

"You've always been a bit more than we could handle, Jade. Your mother had plans for you and was always frustrated when you were unable, or worse _unwilling_, to follow them. Even I saw it was getting worse rather than better as you got older.

"You remember before you left for America? You were giving both of us the silent treatment, going an entire day without saying a word. You only spoke up to argue against being sent away," he reminded her.

"That was because she told me to be silent if I wasn't going to talk like a respectful young lady. Just following orders, chief," Jade grunted, eyes looking to the floor at the memory. The sight of the array comforted her, so she listened as he kept talking.

"Well, those silences forced me to admit, I had made a mistake letting your mother try to raise you practically on her own. The troubles in school were getting worse too, if not so dramatic yet.

"I took a good hard look at you and saw a budding delinquent.

"And where would that lead? I could see you running away. Becoming a thief on the streets and going to jail? Being taken into prostitution by gangsters? Drug addict, or dealer? I could see so many possible ways you could fall from an angry unhappy child into a woman who had ruined her life before it had a chance to begin."

"Don't act like you care," Jade interrupted calmly.

"I _do_ care, I'm just not any good at it. Do you remember how I tried to reach out? Not that it worked, and I wasn't so dense as to realize when something was too little too late. Your mother didn't appreciate it either – I had done nothing to help her and at that point it seemed more like condemning her to offer any aid.

"You are a strange and disrespectful girl, but I didn't want to see your life wasted. The only way I saw out was to radically change things. I wasn't about to trust someone outside the family, but the others seemed like not enough of a change. But with Jackie, it could hardly be more different, even a new country. It would be like a new life, maybe one that would change your fate.

"As it was, I sent you there for one year. I believed that would be enough time to see if my idea was a success or failure. It seemed to be a success. You were as bad as ever in your behavior, but you seemed happy, that you had found your place among the other black sheep of the family.

"That was quite enough, and it was easy to convince your mother to let you go back when you asked.

"I wasn't trying to banish you Jade, I was trying to give you a better chance than we could," Shen explained.

Jade lifted her head and rose back into the air, but didn't come any closer.

"You forgot to mention, it also let you two get your plan back on track. No kid to get in the way of what you wanted. And if anyone asked you could say something very respectable, about her living abroad with your cousin, 'He is an archaeologist on contract with a museum in California. Oh, and did we mention our uncle who runs a shop in Chinatown.'" Jade imitated her mother's voice as best as she could.

"You know, I had forgotten your little attempts to reach out. Funny that, things seem to slip my mind these days, but they did before anyway.

"Thank you for being honest," she remarked.

"Don't thank me, I failed. I just traded one ruined future for another. If you have become a demon, we both know how your story ends," he shook his head sadly. Jade's mouth set into a hard line behind the scarf.

"No, I am not going to lose. Those wild tales I would start to tell only to stop? Tohru's demon slip at the flat? I've been shoulder deep in the supernatural since day one with Jackie. I know how to beat it, so I know how to win!

"It's going to be quite a tale, my rise from a General to royalty. Even I don't know where it will end up! But I know this much – little people like you have no place in it!

"You're both not worth hating, or caring about. What I said earlier is true; I will no longer consider you as my father, Shen, or her at all. That time before Jackie, that's just the vague origin story before the tale began to unfold. I am the heir to the matriarchy of the Shadowkhan race, a race whose roots run deep in the land you hate and I take as my own.

"You will leave; you won't trouble me or my enemies in Jackie and the others. You have no place in the story so get out! Get out and your prize is my forgetting you, no payback, nothing. You can consider that pregnancy to be terminated because you don't have a daughter, I've traded up… twice!" Jade seethed.

She turned her back on the shocked man. She looked at the wall past Left; Shen said nothing.

"Do we have an agreement, Shen Chan?" she asked calmly.

"I am sorry, Jade," Shen said, looking at the floor.

"That doesn't matter, now answer the final question," Jade snapped.

"It may not matter, but it is still true.

"I accept your terms. Which makes this goodbye?" he asked. Jade snorted, still not looking at him.

"No, that implies we actually met. You never bothered to know me, or be a father. Jackie did that, until I no longer needed that because I found my place and destiny. And that works both ways; been nice never meeting you, Shen Chan," Jade ground out.

She saw Left make his move, but didn't look back until after she felt him draw the man into the shadows.

He was gone. She plopped back to the ground, standing on unsteady feet. Staggering to the nearest pillar, she set her forehead against the smooth, cool, wood, feeling it through the silk covering her face.

"No more delays, I'm done with this. Now, now, now!" she whispered, pushing herself off the wood. Throwing back her head she screamed at the ceiling.

"RIGHT!" the roar rattled the chamber.

The ninja silently fell into sight before her, bowing with one fist planted on the floor, the other ready to draw his katana.

"My Queen," he greeted her, looking up. Jade walked up to him quickly, and ran a hand through his hair while tracing his jaw line with her fingers. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, before relaxing as he smiled at the contact.

Pulling her hand back from his face, she lightly gripped the top of his head and leaned in, tucking her chin onto his shoulder. She did not object when his right hand drifted from the weapon to gingerly cup her shoulder, putting his arm around her back.

"The humans never wanted me to exist. It's only chance I was ever allowed to be alive," she told him softly, her mask darkening under her glowing eyes.

"Chance has nothing to do with it. You are destined for greatness; they were simply the unworthy soil you sprang from before taking flight for a horizon beyond their petty mortal grasp," Right told her. She let herself fully lean into him as he rose enough to properly hold her.

They remained like that, for how long she wasn't certain.

"I need to do it soon. I can't stand to wait; please?" she pleaded.

"I will leave to begin it once Left returns," Right assured her.

"Good," Jade sighed, breathing deeply.

**XXX**

"AIYAAAAAAH!" Shen screamed as he hurtled through darkness. He didn't stop as the darkness fell away and the chair clanked down on a nighttime sidewalk. It was only when he was backhanded over the head that he stopped screaming.

"Quiet, human, you will disturb the peace," Left rumbled. Shen tried to not hyperventilate; he kept hoping he would wake up and forget this like a bad dream. He heard something; he guessed it was the ropes being cut as his bonds fell away.

Earlier he would have bolted at this opportunity, but this was all so surreal, he feared any misstep would send him plunging back into that void Jade had sent him through. As it was, Left grabbed both his shoulders, pinning him down while the Shadowkhan leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"She is magnificent; she will restore our race in every sense of the word, changing this world. It should have been your glory, that you would be remembered as the ones she came from, the service entrance to fame. But worms do not deserve to share the sky with dragons and eagles.

"I will see to it that she is not only safe and her wishes granted, but that all that will be recorded of her origins was that she was first born to two insignificant, unworthy worms. Whose only worthy act was to send her into a household worthy of her august presence and of being her adversaries.

"Be gone from this city before the sun sets again, worm, or face my wrath," he whispered. He shoved Shen clear out of the chair, sending the stiff man stumbling face first onto the sidewalk.

Groaning at the impact and his protesting joints, Shen pushed himself up and turned his head. The chair and the ninja were gone, back into the darkness, as if they never were.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

Jackie and Uncle were arguing over the counter while the rest of the J-Team listened from the kitchen, Tohru and Paco drinking tea while Viper refilled El Toro's coffee mug along with her own.

"Jackie needs to calm down, he's going to pull something at this rate," Viper commented.

"He fears for his family, a noble trait. But I still think this may turn out to be a blessing in disguise," El Toro answered.

"I can't share your optimism," Tohru spoke up. Getting up from the table, he took the teapot with him.

"Wong said Jade had a particular hatred for me, claiming I stole her rightful place as an heir to Uncle's magic. But her parents were also singled out.

"She never wanted to go home to Hong Kong. Jackie always saw it as her loving adventure, but I did wonder. She never seemed hostile to her parents before, but a child should get homesick," Tohru said as he pulled out the tea bag container.

Empty; he hoped it wasn't an omen.

"I hear you Tohru, but cynicism unchecked will not help," El Toro added.

"Uncle is right, we have no choice but to wait for Jade to make her move. And if I know Jade, even if she does want to kill her father, it will be something big. Like dangling him over a shark tank after inviting us to try and save him or something.

"What? Jade's always been a bit too eager to see life like an action movie, and all that dark energy buzzing in her brain hasn't helped," Viper said defensively.

The front door jingled and they heard the argument stop.

"Shen?!" both Chans exclaimed in stunned surprised.

"Could I have some tea?" they heard Shen ask weakly.

The J-Team rushed into the store front, Tohru stopping both to avoid clogging the doorway and to turn back.

Shen walked over to the counter, leaning heavily on it while his relatives looked at the disheveled man, clearly still shocked he had arrived.

"How did you escape dark forces also known as your daughter?" Uncle demanded.

"She let me go, tea please?" he asked. The others were hanging back, and made room for Tohru as he entered, carrying a cup of tea. He handed it to Shen, who noticed it was not hot but took a drink anyway.

"Would you like to sit down?" Jackie asked, pulling out a chair. The man flinched from the sight of the chair and shook his head.

"Cousin Jackie, Uncle, I will not be involving the police, or my wife, in this," he told them. Uncle smiled, clapping his hands together. He hated to be even further in Black's debt – sure, saving the world balanced it out, but in principal as a businessman…

"Very good. I know we have a lot of explaining to do-" Jackie sighed.

"No need, I'll be leaving San Francisco tonight. I'll get a plane home in Los Angeles," Shen continued.

"What?" Jackie asked dumbly.

"Jade told me to stay out of this, and if I did she would forget about any grudge she might have. She just wants me out of her life, her mother as well," Shen said.

"And you are going to?" El Toro demanded. He stepped forward, but Uncle raised a hand and the wrestler felt the need to stop. Jackie spoke up.

"Cousin-"

"Jackie," Uncle cut him off. He looked at Shen sternly.

"Your daughter's very soul is in danger; the fate of the world hangs in the balance. You cannot fight, but you may still have some role you can play, Shen," Uncle told him.

"No, I am a poor father. It's better to leave her, and this problem, in your hands. You'll do better than anything I could," Shen answered.

"Do you believe that, or are you afraid of her?" Uncle pressed.

"Of course I am afraid of her. Always have been, afraid of failing as a father and her suffering for it. Well, this proves it, so better to just bow out. You have magic, and strange people; she seems to actually respect you still," Shen rambled.

Uncle took the teacup from him with a swipe.

"Uncle!" Jackie protested. The look Uncle gave him from the corner of his eyes shut him up.

"That's your choice to make, Shen. But I want you to know that if you come here again, you had better be shopping for fine antiques," Uncle told him. Shen met the older man's eyes and nodded.

"Thank you for the tea, and good luck with Jade," he said, looking between Uncle and Jackie. Jackie called out to him as he left, but the other man did not stop.

"Uncle, we don't know what he went through. That was uncalled for," Jackie told his elder.

"Jackie, if you were in trouble I would not walk away. Nor would you from Jade in trouble. I don't care why; a man who does not put his duty to family before his fears is no man welcome here," Uncle told Jackie.

Scowling, El Toro gestured for Paco to stay and walked out after Shen. Viper gave Jackie and Uncle a two-fingered salute and mouthed, "just in case" before taking off after the wrestler.

**XXX**

"What do you think you are doing, Senor?" El Toro demanded, stomping on the sidewalk. The untidy Chinese man turned to look at him.

"Mr.… El Toro?" Shen asked, pulling the name from memory.

"Si, and do you not realize your child is in danger?" El Toro demanded.

"She seems to _be_ the dangerous one. For a bit, I thought she might kill me," Shen sighed.

"Her immortal soul is in peril! The dark forces seek to claim her as their own.

"Never mind what that means to the world. Your daughter has come to the rescue of so many; she needs the world to come to _her_ rescue now. And as her father, now that you know, you must help us however you can," El Toro insisted.

"I think she sees Jackie as more of a father. It's too late for me to step up to that role," Shen sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So you would abandon her? Your flesh and blood? If dark forces took Paco, I would not abandon him. Even though there is not a drop of blood between us, I would give my all to win his self back from the darkness!" El Toro shouted.

Shen chuckled and smiled. El Toro lowered a fist he hadn't realized he was raising and quirked an eyebrow.

"I can see why she took offense at me being here. You people… you are all something else, aren't you? Well, I'm not; whatever Jade is, or should be, it's beyond me. I don't belong in a world of evil shadow people and heroes from across the world coming together to fight evil.

"For someone like me, the best you can do is wish those who can handle it good luck, and get out of the crossfire," Shen told him.

"Senor Chan, I know what it is like to fall short of a child's expectations. Paco idolized me for my great strength, which was a lie of magic. He was heartbroken when he realized I was a fraud and a cheater.

"But I was able to win back a place in his eyes, by starting anew with the truth and honor as my foundation. It will not be easy, but you can be the man Yade needs you to be," El Toro told him. Shen shook his head, turning away to look into the darkness outside the streetlights.

"I see; like Jackie, you are a hero, a great man. But I am just a man, nothing great about me. I can't do the things you can, it would only end up making things worse for everyone involved," Shen admitted.

"Excuses, for a coward to not be a man," El Toro growled.

"Maybe so, good evening sir," Shen said, turning his back on the wrestler and walking off into Chinatown.

El Toro ground his teeth, the code twirling around his rising anger in his head. He took one step forward, knowing where it would lead to and not caring. How dare he!?

A hand on his arm stopped him. He looked to see Viper gently holding him back.

"Ease off, handsome – either you really shouldn't hit him or he's not worth hitting. Either way," the thief told him.

"How? How can a man not want to fight for his child? Or any child? Can't he see what she's becoming?" El Toro demanded of her.

"Hitting people doesn't make them better. And forcing him to stay just might hurt Jade more. Once this is done, maybe Jackie could help them work out their issues.

"Now come on, we never decided what you are doing for sleeping," she told El Toro, turning him around.

Sighing, he let her lead him back toward the shop. He wasn't sure what he had wanted Shen Chan to do. The man had struck him as the boring but good type in Hong Kong. Was he a coward who didn't care enough? Or did he truly think the best thing he could do was stand aside?

He was distracted, and as such would blame himself for what happened next.

Viper must have been focused on him, as she did not even have time to dodge as she was struck from behind. With an odd exclamation, she slumped forward, El Toro catching her on reflex. The ping of metal drew his attention to the ground, where a small dark ball rolled away on the sidewalk pavement.

"Yade?" the luchadore challenged. Right stepped into the light of a streetlamp, tossing another such ball up and down.

"She has better things to do. And I don't mind being the errand boy in this," Right said. El Toro put Viper down on the ground and set himself between the thief and the ninja, reaching into his suit.

"Calling for help? Some champion, fearing a one on one match," Right sneered.

"No, that was just to signal Paco to get help." Right looked past his opponent and glimpsed the boy running down the street.

"When?"

"Paco doesn't stay put; I decided, why not find away to put it to use?" El Toro shrugged.

"You just made this harder on yourself," Right growled.

Drawing his katana, he charged toward the wrestler.

"Yaaaahhhh!" the Shadowkhan cried.

"Hehhh!" El Toro grunted, planting his feet.

The blade swung out at him, towards his neck, and stopped.

"…!" Right stared. Close to the luchadore's neck, the blade was lodged between the human's two large hands, blood dripping down the blade, but stopped. His vision flashed as El Toro head butted him. Ripping the sword from the ninja's hand, he threw it wildly across the street.

Leaping into the air, he reached out to tackle the Shadowkhan, only to pass through empty air. Surprised at his dazed opponent's disappearance, he hit the ground hard.

"Good, masked man, but not good enough," Right taunted. El Toro turned, getting to his feet, and saw the Shadowkhan sinking into the ground, and the last of Viper's face vanishing beneath the shadows at his feet.

"No!" El Toro yelled, charging toward the kidnapper.

"Yes!" Right grinned. He threw down a handful of smoke bombs, El Toro charging blind into the smoke.

"Honorless bandito, come out and fight like a man!" El Toro yelled, flailing about in the smoke.

"Ninja, and dark – what makes you think honorable combat has any place in war? Either get smarter or get stronger. It would be a poor saga if it ended in a curbstomp, now wouldn't it?" Right laughed.

The smoke cleared, both the abductor and abductee gone.

"Madre Dios!" he cursed, and saw Jackie and Uncle running down the street, Tohru following.

_Windsor Mansion:_

The pounding in her head let Viper know she was waking up. She took a moment, trying to determine if it was a hangover or someone had knocked her out.

'Ouch, yeah, knock out, hit me from behind, bastard,' she decided.

Her eyes opened slowly, bringing a dimly lit room into focus. The eyes widened as her mind became fully functional.

"Jade!" she yelled. She tried to stand from the kneeling position she was in, only to be met with stiff resistance. Looking to her sides and down, she saw she was between two wooden columns, her arms stretched taut by chain, and more chains seemed be heavy-duty stapled to the floor, holding her shins tightly.

Also most of her clothes were gone; she could now feel the ink that was spread across her skin in the cold air, in strange designs.

"You are in so much trouble, young lady!" Viper yelled again. She recognized the room now – it was where Jade had brought Tohru during Ikazuki's little power trip. Though the lack of proper lighting now made it creepier.

Finally, Jade emerged from behind a pillar, wrapped up in that cloak of hers and holding a shallow, wide bowl. One of the bodyguards followed behind her, holding a candlestick adorned with a blue flame. Left, she realized, the quiet one.

The male Shadowkhan must have sensed her attention, as he looked at her as Jade set down her bowl. He had lost the mask entirely; not as good-looking as his brother, Viper noted, even without the scars his features were more blunted. Not ugly, though.

"Viper," Jade said, rising into the air. That was still creepy, especially with that mask, Viper thought, as Jade closed the distance between them. Viper tried to lean back as the girl got more than a little too close; Viper could make out the shape of Jade's eyes clearly beneath the layer of cloth.

"Would you kindly take off that mask?" Viper asked.

"So you can hit me with some onion attack? No," Jade hissed. Viper blinked, shaking the chains on her arms slightly for her point.

"Are you joking, kid? Besides, you had your goons strip me and… these had better not be tattoos," Viper demanded.

"Of course not, I painted you with a brush, not a needle," Jade protested, crossing her arms. She drew back, sounding annoyed at the accusation. Still, no creepy full body tattoo; small favors. Sighing at her situation, she let her head hang a moment, and felt something, and not something.

The cold air was blowing across a scalp cool with ink. Viper lifted her head, her glare sending Jade floating back further.

"Jade, did you… shave my head?" Viper demanded calmly.

"Uh, kinda? You see I needed-"

"You punk brat! Just you wait until the wizards fix you! I don't care how old you are, I will take you over my knee and you will not be sitting down for a month!" Viper screamed at the Queen. Jade ducked behind Left, peeking over his shoulder.

"My, such courage under captivity," Right chuckled. He was behind her.

"Was this your idea?" Viper demanded, trying to turn her head enough to see him.

"No. I rather liked your hair, but there is a certain exotic beauty to this look. Yes, I'd say you pull it off splendidly," Right laughed lightly.

"Don't mock her, Right," Jade said.

"Sorry, my Queen, got a bit into the spirit of battle banter. It does seem a bit distasteful to do such a thing when they can't try and hit you in retaliation," Right admitted. Viper hated having someone in a blind spot she couldn't check.

"Though perhaps we should have washed her. The onion essence clings to her; my wyes almost watered carrying her back," Right continued.

"Thank you for brining her here, Right. It is almost time, please fetch the final ingredient for me," she asked.

"It will be a pleasure," Right said. Viper felt him; he watched her as he sank into the shadows.

"So, Jade, I get the feeling you are not holding me captive for a mask?" Viper asked, testing her chains. Drat, just like the "hero cage", Jade had put her genre paranoia to work here. But if you can outwit your captor, you can overcome unbreakable bonds.

"That was Finn's idea. Though I was disappointed, I thought you were better than a damsel in distress," Jade said. It wasn't a taunt; she sounded quite disappointed Viper had been taken hostage.

"Kid, you treat this like a game. I was mostly okay with that since it seemed to let you come through this stuff undamaged, but you are playing with fire and are going to get even more burned if you don't stop," Viper told her.

"Burn? Burn, burn, light, glass," Jade muttered, drifting around in front of Viper.

"Jade?" Viper asked, feeling creeped out.

"Tohru tried to seal me up. And they will all try again, and they won't stop until they do. Or they lose. I won't be trapped for ages, I won't be the fish in the bowl getting boiled!" Jade ranted, gesturing wildly with her claws.

Viper looked to Left for some explanation. The Shadowkhan just stared forward, not reacting to anything said as he held the blue candle. Closing her eyes, Viper gathered her thoughts before speaking, using a tone like she would for trying to keep a guard dog calm during a heist.

"Jade, Jackie loves you, none of them want to hurt you. They want you back," Viper told her.

Jade laughed; she didn't throw back her head or anything dramatic, but the giggle she let out as she pressed a hand to her forehead was worse, in Viper's opinion.

"Of course they told you that. You wouldn't have agreed to help them otherwise. It's what human wizards and heroes do. If it's not human and magic you seal it away somewhere, if you can't kill it!

"They know I won't turn back, because this is what I am and you can't stop being what you are. Because I won't.

"…

"I asked for your help once," Jade resumed, sounding calm as she lowered her head.

"I said no then, and it's still no. Whatever happened to you, kid, you are genuinely swimming in the deep end now. And… there's nothing I can say that would make you believe your paranoia is unfounded, is there?" Viper sighed.

"It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you. Lung came from nowhere, and he nearly got me. He would have if my real family hadn't saved me," Jade retorted.

"We didn't even know you were in trouble! We would have never-" Viper objected.

"Or maybe you let someone else do your dirty work?!

"Fact is, it's a big world, and people I don't even know about may be targeting me for a trophy or slave. I need protection, now. More than humans can provide or be trusted with," Jade said. As she ranted, Right walked into sight, holding a bundle wrapped in white cloth.

"Fortunately, I am a prodigy at shadow magic.

"Uncle was full of it. Most of the time amateurs mess with magic it either does nothing, or you get turned into frog like Captain Black. Me though, the spell might not work as I intended, but the results are epic and can be put to use.

"My blunders were more impressive than what so called full wizards do with half their spells. And the shadow magic, it likes me!

"You see Viper, male Shadowkhan are the warriors and workers. Females are the rulers, and the sorceresses. Sure, males can learn magic, and females can fight, but it never fits so well as the role they were bred for.

"And the shadow magic has laid discontent, a tool of pretenders and frauds, eager to embrace the return of one who can fully grasp its mysteries and power.

"This array, those marks, this spell – it came to me from whispers in the shadows, the teachings on Shadowkhan reproduction, and the secret of Tarakudo's creation. And my own genius tying it all together, and then some," Jade told her. Picking up her bowl, she floated behind Viper.

"Hey!" Viper protested as she felt Jade fiddling with her bra strap.

"Turn around boys," Jade commanded. Viper frowned, watching them turn away, Right winking at her before doing do. Jade tore up the strap and Viper felt her pull the bra away. She reddened, more in anger than embarrassment. She glared at Jade when the girl floated back around front, holding the bowl in one hand and a brush in the other.

"Before, I said you were in trouble? It's worse now," Viper told her. Jade wilted, and dipping her brush, began to draw on Viper's chest, coating incomplete lines and drawing new symbols on the exposed flesh.

"I am sorry. I wish you could have volunteered; this would be so much more dignified then.

"But I need someone I can count on, and you will thank me when this is over.

"I mean, I've taken every precaution; this special ink I made using the ashes from the hair Right took in the mixture. I could have tried this without the second tablet, but I wouldn't risk casting a spell on you if it were anything less than perfect," Jade pleaded.

Viper watched her, angry and stunned. This was not affected remorse – Jade was sincere and scared along with everything else.

'Right, after Jade gets fixed, and punished, I will find out about this Lung character, and murder him,' Viper decided. Jade blowing a symbol on her left breast dry brought her concerns back to the present.

"Kid, if you really want to be considerate, not doing whatever you're doing would be a great start!" Viper told her. Jade didn't respond, tucking the brush behind her ear, while the bowl vanished in a puddle of black smoke.

She floated over to where Right stood facing away from them.

"Now, General! Time to serve your Queen," she snatched the bundle from Right. She ripped the cloth to reveal the blue mask of Ikazuki.

"What's that, new orders from the King? Don't care, asshole! I'm taking command. Left!" she commanded. Left kneeled and put the blue flame to the marks on the floor. With a whoosh, the ink ignited, blue flames dancing across the designs, setting the shadows to dancing.

Viper watched in fear as the flames covered the floor in glowing marks, the flames burning low and bright.

"Huo xun, Zong zai Xing. Huo xun, Zong zai Xing," Jade chanted somewhere in the shifting darkness. Pain flared in Viper's feet, and she grit her teeth; it felt like she was burning and freezing at the same time.

Leaning as far forward as she could in the pain, she saw what was happening – the ink on her skin was glowing brilliant blue.

As the sensation reached her head, her vision sharpened but her body sagged limp. She felt a man's hand lightly grab the dome of her head.

SNAP CRACK WHOOSH

Viper could see Jade now, holding what looked like half of Ikazuki's mask, her cheeks puffed out as she chewed loudly. Viper felt strangely horrified at the sight; she could swear someone was screaming nearby, even though she couldn't hear it.

The mask fragment in Jade's hand dissolved into smoke, forming into a ball of blue smoke flashing with dots of red, as it swirled in the palm of her hand.

Opening her mouth, Jade let more blue smoke pour out, joining the sphere, adding black stripes to it as it grew larger.

Jade started chanting again, flying over the blue flames toward Viper, as one of her Shadowkhan pulled the thief's mouth open.

_Uncle's Rare Finds:_

Uncle walked up the stairs slowly. How many decades had he done so, and yet they had never seemed like such a climb.

He knew where he would find Tohru, the door to Jade's old room open. It was as she had left it; by some unspoken agreement, they had not touched it, letting it go to dust. Usually, such dust would anger the shop owner, but instead it saddened him, a reminder of the hole that Jade had left behind. He wondered if she was as comfortable in her lair as she was here?

Tohru stood before her window. Uncle could feel the draft, but not see the window past the sumo's frame.

"That was quite a willy," Tohru said.

"Uncle agrees, and he imagines it was worse for you.

"The others felt a sense of deep dread. The balance has shifted against us in this conflict; something very, _very_ bad has happened to Viper," Uncle told him.

"Jade hasn't killed her, that is not her. Not yet," Tohru said grimly.

"We must not loose hope, Tohru. It is the nature of darkness to rise in challenge to the light, but it is the nature of light in time of need to stir forces equal to the threat. Victory is not guaranteed, but our defeat is never certain.

"Come, apprentice, soon enough the dark forces will press their advantage, and we must be ready to meet them," Uncle told him.

"Sensei, I dreamed of a red mask. I held it and felt as if I had just climbed an impossibly high mountain to stand at the peak, and realized that I must now leap from the peak. What does it mean?"

"Dreams can be nothing Tohru, or everything. They can show possible futures, the present beyond our sight, or the lost past. But always one must be careful to act upon them. Do not be throwing yourself off any cliffs – who would make Uncle's tea then?!" Uncle demanded.

Tohru turned around with a small smile.

'The darkness rises, but I know your light still shines buried within it Jade. Even if it costs me my life, I will see your light shine again,' Tohru vowed, as he closed the window.

**XXX**

Finn yawned as he and the rest of the Enforcers sat at the conference table. Blankman sat at the left hand of the boss' chair, looking over three opened folders in front of him. He had been going through their contents since sitting down, having brought them with the boss lady's summoning.

'Another mask uncovered,' Finn decided.

"Gentleman, good evening," Queen Jade greeted. She rose up from her chair to take a seat in it, Right rising beside her, standing at attention. Both Shadowkhan looked a bit mussed up, but very satisfied.

'Guess whatever crazy magic hoodoo they were doing worked,' Finn thought.

"Finn, Chow, and Ratso, we've known each other awhile. Since the day you tried to fillet my uncle with electro zappy swords.

"And despite multiple murder attempts, hostage situations, and mutual cases of assault and battery, it has strangely enough been fun," Jade recalled wistfully.

"I guess?" Chow asked.

"Shut up, Bonkers," Jade said, still smiling.

"As I was saying, it has been great, but as the organization grows, so do my expectations of it. And I must say you have lived up to my low expectations.

"Yet I see our future in a more Shadowkhan heavy operation, phasing out more of the human element. After all, let's be honest, we have yet to retain a mask for 48 hours. Save for one we couldn't use, that is.

"Anyway, I don't like dancing around it, so here it is. You three are fired," Queen Jade told them.

"What?" Finn asked, surprised.

"You now have the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere. Here is Left with your personal effects and stashed cash," she told them. From behind them, Left tossed duffle bags onto their laps. Blankman slid envelopes across the table to stop in front of them.

"And there is your final payment.

"Best of luck, and remember – tell Jackie or anyone else insider info, and I will eat your brains with soy sauce," she growled.

"Well, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here. Bye!" Jade waved to them as they picked up the envelopes.

"Wait, is that – aaahhh!" Finn was cut off into screaming as they were pulled into the shadowy vortex of Shadowkhan teleporting.

Like many uncontrolled teleports, he felt a brief sensation of falling up on exiting, before plopping down.

"Ouch," he grumbled, sitting up from the ground. They were down the road, out of sight from the mansion by the roadside.

"No way!" Chow shouted nearby. He saw his buddies going through their envelopes and duffle bags, respectively.

"What is it?"

"It's all here, she actually gave us the money, and the watch I bought with it," Chow exclaimed.

"And it doesn't have her picture on it or anything. It didn't even burst into flame!" Ratso joined in.

Finn looked around at the road and the sea and countryside. No cops to arrest them, no Jackie Chan, no magical horror to destroy loot and draft them, and no Jackie Chan.

Looking at the others, he could see they had the same thought.

'Best not wait until they do show up.'

"BOSTON OR BUST BOYS!" Finn shouted, grabbing up his stuff and running down the road. The others stuffed everything back and took off after him.

"Boston's too close! Let's go to Europe!" Ratso shouted.

"Yeah, maybe an ocean and continent will be far enough away," Chow agreed.

Arms laden with loot and personal possessions, the Enforcers ran off into the night, and were soon lost to sight.

_Shortly_:

A delicate blue finger with a black nail reached out and tapped the right end of the scar on Jade's brow thoughtfully. Seemingly satisfied, the finger pressed down as close to the tip as it could without poking her with the nail.

Black steam rose with a hiss; Jade squirmed a bit, but otherwise remained still. The finger slowly slid left along the line of the scar, trailed by the black steam. In the wake of the finger and steam, smooth unmarked blue skin was revealed.

The finger reached the far end and twisted slightly, eliciting a pop that sent blue and red sparks into the air for a moment, along with a puff of the black steam. The hand pulled back, leaving Jade's brow unmarked.

"Oh, that feels so good," Jade sighed, pulling the wide blindfold up to cover most of her forehead again. That done, she pulled her cowl back into place, covering her hair and the rest of her forehead. The enchanted cloth protected her entire head one way or another now.

Turning away from her helper, she looked at the basement, scattered ash on the floor the only evidence of the great magic that had been done here so recently. Taking three steps forward, she made a fist with her right hand and raised it slowly.

A spot of shadow formed before her and grew, splitting off into ten manhole-sized puddles of shadow. Left and Right watched with excited interest from behind her with the other, as ten Ninja Shadowkhan rose to stand before them.

"Whew!" Jade breathed, lowering her fist. Her red eyes could be seen narrowing through the silk.

"Heh, my injuries affect this too; that was trying to summon as many as possible. Ten is not an army, but a definite upgrade in supporting my elites, from mere humans," Jade commented. She turned her attention to her bodyguards and the lifter of Ikazuki's curse.

"Thank you, General Viper," she said with a nod.

Viper stood in black samurai armor with red highlights. It was scaled down to her slender frame and more compact and sleek than that of the Samurai Khan had been. Concessions to the thief's style aside, it looked practical, with her not even wearing geta sandals but rather straw sandals showing off black socks.

The armor and gloves left only the skin on her head bared. And it _was_ bare – save for her eyebrows, the blue-skinned red-eyed woman had not a hair on her head. Though the pupils were not visible, Queen Jade felt the new General's eyes shift to her.

"Viper… does that name fit anymore? You did more than transform my body and chi after all," the General said.

"Well, yes, the marks also ensured certain of Ikazuki's qualities would dilute that moral streak to put you more or less back to when we met. Good guy morality is less useful than a thief's pragmatism."

"Even though I pulled a Viper on you?" she asked.

"Hence the reason I mixed Ikazuki's loyalty and sense of duty with your affection towards me. I have had a while to plan this and examine Ikazuki. He never guessed until the final moment what I was up to. Incidentally, I made sure he wouldn't cause you to get dumber," Queen Jade admitted, scratching idly at her covered cheek.

"Hmm, tailoring my mind to make me an effective and loyal General. Viper would be upset to the point of attacking you right now. But I'm not exactly Viper, and am grateful at the realization of potential eternal youth, immortality, and the rest," she said, walking over to Jade. Reaching out a gloved hand, she patted Jade's head through the cowl.

"Besides, I could never stay mad at you, Your Majesty," the General smiled. Jade closed her eyes, giving a relieved sigh.

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that."

Withdrawing her hand, the Shadowkhan woman stepped past Jade and drew her katana. Another shadow appeared on the floor, splitting into ten more small shadows, a Samurai Khan rising out of each of them.

"Wow, and mine to command. And unlike those chumps, it doesn't come with a demon on my face trying to take me over. Hmm," she frowned, running a hand over her bald head. Pointing to one of the five front row samurai, she snapped her fingers. The Shadowkhan stepped up to her and knelt, removing his helmet.

It was not much of a reveal – a half mask covered his lower face and his black hair was pulled up into a topknot. Other than the coloring, he looked rather human. Viper took the offered helm, removing the facemask and handing that back to him. In his hands, the helmet grew back from the mask from shadows siphoning through the air as he put it back on and stepped back into line.

Viper concentrated on the helmet, black chi pouring out of her hands into it. The armor shrank to her size, sliming down to match her more streamlined look, a crest sprouting and forming into a bright blue viper over the horns.

The General looked at the new helmet and smiled, showing off razor teeth, running a finger over the snake ornament.

"Snake, hebi. Yes, not quite Viper, but similar. You can call me General Hebi, mistress of the Buke Tribe. What do you think, boys?" she asked, putting on the helmet and turning to face the two bodyguards with a hand on her hips and the other holding her sword loosely.

"I think it is a great pleasure to finally have a fully realized female in the world," Right grinned.

"Down, scrappy, I outrank you," Hebi laughed while the Shadowkhan blushed.

Left simply put a fist over his heart and bowed halfway to his waist.

"General," he greeted.

"Still the shadow of few words," she remarked. Turning her attention back to the assembled drones, she lifted her sword and pointed it down to the floor. She spoke as Jade pointed her index and middle fingers down.

"Kneel before the Queen," Hebi commanded her Samurai. Alongside the ninja, the samurai went to their knees, kowtowing to Queen Jade.

"Two tribes, two Vassals, and a General under my command. The balance has just radically shifted in favor of the Fourth Era of the Shadowkhan," Queen Jade smiled, her eyes narrowing to gleaming slits.

_Jade Sea, Home:_

Desire and Science watched Father pull at the chain constricting his feet, one holding a literal half grin while the other smiled calmly.

With a pop and screech of metal, the length of chain ripped free and was thrown skyward. They tracked its course and watched it explode into black dust as it struck a wall/cliff face. Desire pumped her human fist while the Shadowhkhan hand gave a thumb's up.

Leaning back on the counter/rock formation, Father stretched his legs out to the sides, farther than they could have gone with the chains. The irons still clapped around his ankles above the brown shoes did not seem to bother him.

The duo flinched when he sprang to his feet, landing with a clack. Running towards a nearby boulder, he turned, chambering a kick while keeping his eyes on the target.

Skidding to a halt, sending up bits of rock and dust, he kicked the air mere millimeters from the stone's surface. Placing both feet on the ground, he turned and walked back towards the other two Aspects. Behind him, a crack appeared across the boulder.

"Good to see you finally unfettered… Well, mostly, Father," Science commented.

"It was a trade, though; the sky has become stormy, and the tears might start expanding again. This is not a time when a change in perspective comes without significant consequences," Father reminded him. The dark sea behind did look like a storm was brewing, as black clouds blocked more and more stars and waves marred the once calm ink.

"So, are you finally going to challenge the Queen? Because it was bad enough before, and with Hero gone Fear and Doubt have been running around making a mess," Desire spoke up.

"Worse – the Outsider has brought those two together. I saw her, Paranoia; the Queen is playing with a force she doesn't quite grasp. Just like Hero, making bold foolish maneuvers without considering the long term consequences," Father lamented sternly. He touched Hero's hat, which he had tied to his belt.

Since aside from the typically stern expression he was the spitting image of Jackie Chan, it was quite amusing to see him with such a flamboyant hat, the two Aspects thought.

"So? The sooner the better. You may not be my first pick as ruler, but you bring Jade closer to her desire than these punks have with their pointless distractions," Desire admitted. Father shook his head, looking out to the sea where The Jade could be seen against the horizon.

"No, Hero left us very little with his vain gamble. We have to be smart first and brave second. I have one Epic Kick left in me, I have to use it when the time is right, no sooner, no later," Father told them.

"Or Light and Shadow both will be devoured by the darkness," Desire finished.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Four days, aside from the first third of the 'chained viper scene,", Zim and I put this chapter together in four days._

_How the heck did that happen?! More importantly is it still as good as the stuff that takes so long?_

_Also if you have not heard PDJ has been expanding on Tv Tropes lately. 'Project Dark Jade' itself has a page now, complete with two sets of story links. One to the growing number of member stories that have pages on that site, and links to those stories that do not have entries._

_I am glad to get this chapter done now, and to have finished Hachin. Because all too soon I will be returning to university after years in the workforce in the hope of improving my position in the job market._

_How will this affect updates. I honestly don't know. It should mean fewer, but the way I have been producing with the pressure of an impending deadline, makes me wonder if less free time might be good for my muse. _

_So maybe the more motivated me will balance the reduction in free time; and my story output will remain pretty much the same? _

_No way to know until it happens I suppose. _

_So for now I hope you enjoyed this less action packed update, and might wish this writer luck in getting into a competitive occupation training program._

_Long days and pleasant nights to you all._


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